>'Systems theory is an interdisciplinary framework used to understand how society works by observing how individuals interact and adapt to their environment. It emphasizes the complexity of relationships and dependencies that shape behavior and outcomes.' - [Systems Theory](https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/systems-theory) A part of [[General Systems Theory]] created by [[@Ludwig von Bertanlanffy]] is associated growth and change in living organisms with linear, cause-and-effect theories. It states that ever increasing complexity eventually creates consciousness. [[@Theodore Roszak]] however explains that systems theory is based on complexity which causes change in the universe. However, these systems are cycling down over time leading to closed and isolated systems which cannot reach equlibrium before thermal depletion. These systems are not represented in nature and give pause to the laws of [[Thermodynamics]] as being representative of the world we live in. ## Terms: - **System:** Its definition may vary across disciplines, but it is essentially made up of two or more interdependent elements that are interconnected and share a similar goal. - **Subsystem:** A smaller component of a larger system that can function independently but also contributes to the overall system's goals. Hierarchy might be introduced when subsystems are present. - **Feedback:** Circular process in which a system’s information or output is circled (fed) back into the system. It can be either positive or negative. ## Questions: - Does this mean that systems theory itself isn't mechanistic? Or is it founded in mechanistic thought because that is the foundation of science today? *While systems theory promotes holism and can be useful. A lot of the people who have influenced it's development have done so for corporate needs. This lands it as a tool of mechanism. Having life as something you analyze is fine, but objectifying it, breaking it down, into interconnected <mark style="background: #FFF3A3A6;">objects</mark> is mechanism. No matter how well you veil it. It's anti-life because if takes away the agency, the subjecthood, the interrelationships, all while proposing that it isn't. If we have to constantly remind ourselves that the world is living and the beings we are studying are living, then it's the wrong tool for us to be using.* ## Pros: - Helps identify feedback loops ## Cons: - Appears holistic, but it inherently mechanistic - Objectifies and simplifies complex living subjects ## Sources: - [[Capra Course]] - [[Systems Novel]] - [[Systems View of Life]] - [[Roszak, Theodore (1992) The Voice of the Earth]]