Systems Thinking Part 1: Systems Science
When asking ourselves “What is Systems Thinking”, we may naturally wonder “what is a system?” That is a good starting point. We need a clear understanding of what a system is before exploring how to “think” in systems. Luckily, in George Mobus’s “Systems Science: Theory, Analysis, Modeling, and Design”, he provides a formal definition that I find extremely useful, that can be used to establish a starting point for understanding all kinds of systems. “Systems Science” is the attempt at forming a meta-science; establishing principles and methods that apply to all sub-domains of science. The idea is that this definition can catpure every aspect of a system from biological, social, physical, socio-technical, or engineered. Table of Contents Principles Systems Ontology System Definition Summary Principles In order to understand systems in nature and engineered systems, you need to understand the principles that underlie all systems. Each principle can be activated at different times or...