These sources collectively explore the philosophy and methodology of systems thinking, emphasizing how individuals can better understand and manage complex environments. The texts highlight that effective problem-solving requires a shift from traditional reductionism to a broader perspective that values diverse models and iterative learning. Authors explain that emergence is often a matter of adjusting one’s scope and resolution rather than just ascending a hierarchy of levels. Within professional contexts, such as military design and consulting, the material stresses the importance of collaborative discourse and the suspension of rigid beliefs to uncover hidden structures. Ultimately, the collection argues that objective reality is often shaped by our own perceptual constraints and the linguistic symbols we use to define our world.
Sources
Here is the complete list of sources provided in the notebook:
• A Synthesis and a Practical Approach to Complex Systems by Nicolas Brodu. PhD Thesis, 2007. • A Theory of Systemic Design by Alex J. Ryan. FORMakademisk, Vol. 7, Nr. 4, 2014. • An Information-Theoretic Primer on Complexity, Self-organisation and Emergence by Mikhail Prokopenko, Fabio Boschetti, and Alex J. Ryan. Complexity, 15(1):11–28, 2009. DOI: 10.1002/cplx.20249 • An Introduction to General Systems Thinking by Gerald M. Weinberg. Silver Anniversary Edition, Dorset House Publishing, 2001. ISBN: 0-471-92563-2. • Emergence is Coupled to Scope, Not Level by Alex J. Ryan. Complexity, 13(2):67–77, 2007. • On the Salient Limitations of the Methods of Assembly Theory by Felipe S. Abrahão, et al. • Myth of Objectivity and the Origin of Symbols by Shagor Rahman. Frontiers in Sociology, 8:1269621, 2023. DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2023.1269621 • Evolutionary Systems and Biologically Inspired Computing by Rocha. • A Framework for Systemic Design by Alex J. Ryan. FORMakademisk, Vol. 7, Nr. 4, 2014. • Applications of Complex Systems to Operational Design by Alex J. Ryan. International Conference on Complex Systems, 2011. • Interagency Collaboration: By Design by Alex J. Ryan. • The Foundation for an Adaptive Approach: Insights from the Science of Complex Systems by Alex J. Ryan. Australian Army Journal, VI(3), 2010. • Relating Systems Thinking and Design I: Practical Advances in Systemic Design (Editorial) by Birger Sevaldson and Alex J. Ryan. FORMakademisk, Vol. 7, Nr. 3, 2014. • Military Applications of Complex Systems by Alex J. Ryan. • Warren Weaver’s “Science and Complexity” Revisited by Rudolf Seising. Studies in Fuzziness and Soft Computing, 2012. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-24672-2_3 • Cybernetics, System(s) Theory, Information Theory and Fuzzy Sets and Systems in the 1950s and 1960s by Rudolf Seising. Information Sciences, 180, 2010. DOI: 10.1016/j.ins.2010.08.001 • The Imperfections of Science by Warren Weaver. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 104, No. 5, 1960. Stable URL • The Emerging Unity of Science by Warren Weaver. • Art of Design: Student Text, Version 2.0 by Alex J. Ryan, et al. School of Advanced Military Studies, 2010. • The Mathematical Theory of Communication by Claude E. Shannon and Warren Weaver. University of Illinois Press, 1964. • The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully by Gerald M. Weinberg. 2011. • Science and Complexity by Warren Weaver. American Scientist, Vol. 36, No. 4, 1948. Stable URL • Recent Contributions to The Mathematical Theory of Communication by Warren Weaver. 1949.