The Whole Picture: Systems Within Systems

“There is a general principle that if one wishes to consider an area of activity and think about it, it helps to set it in the largest possible frame of reference. If one can think of a system as embedded in another larger system, one can draw more accurate conclusions about it. Some recent theorems in mathematics come down to this: there are questions in any system that cannot be answered in that system. If one embeds the system in a larger system, however, one can perhaps get an answer that will be useful. Let us then back up, and instead of trying to talk first about immediate concerns, try to talk about the whole picture.”

Harvey Jackins, “The State of the Cosmos,” in The Upward Trend (Rational Island Publishers, Seattle, 1977), p.1.
Harvey Jackins is the founder of Re-evaluation Counseling (RC), an international movement for world change dedicated to the complete recovery of the intelligence of every human being from the hurts that society has inflicted. For additional information see the the RC web site.

Living Systems

(Observations based on Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World by Joanna Macy coauthored with Molly Young Brown, (New Society 1998)

Systems are dynamic and interdependent in every movement and exchange of information, matter and energy.

Every system is a whole in its own right and also composed of subsystems, each of which is a whole. At the same time every system is part of a larger system from the atom to the ultimate system, the universe. No system is reducible to its parts.

Every system has its own internal coherence and communication while interacting with the larger systems of which it is a part.

Open systems have a continual flow through of matter, energy and information in the midst of which they seek to maintain a balance and self-stabilize.

Open systems not only maintain balance in the midst of flux but evolve in complexity.

Self-reflective consciousness in humans evolved as part of the increasing complexity of systems and presents unique challenges. For the first time in universe history, decisions made by reflective beings can influence the course of future evolution.

If changing behaviors in systems are not able to meet challenges from the environment and do not achieve a viable balance with them, the interactive communications loop gets out of control and systems break down.

Any system that continually represses feedback is suicidal.

Synergy is a property of all living systems. As the parts interact, possibilities emerge that are not possible with individual parts. Effects of any action are multiple and must be understood together for within a system side effects or unintended consequences are not possible.

Many modern human social systems like the industrial growth society are organized in ways that are out of touch with other living systems, although they depend on those systems for their existence.