Bertoglio speaks to us in his book on General Systems Theory as an integral and total vision. At the same time it explains to us how reality has been divided and then studied under a scheme of independent subsystems but at the same time reacted with each other, that is, that there are interrelationships between them.
In this sense, it must be understood that the different sciences have been in charge of dividing reality into parts and in this way, each of them studies a component of the system independently.
The reductionist approach explains that the important thing is to divide the whole so that the study of the phenomena is simpler. It is intended to create subdivisions and at the same time seeks their integration. You must take into consideration everything you want to cover in the study and the degree of confidence you want (Bertoglio calls it ambition). Both parameters are inversely proportional, that is, the more ambitious the study, the less degree of confidence it will have and, on the contrary, the less ambitious the researcher is, the degree of confidence in the results increases.
The author in his book says: "The complex phenomenon is studied through the analysis of its elements or component parts" (p. 17), this is interesting, since most scientists carry out separate studies so that the complexity of the phenomenon do not hinder the investigation. At other times it becomes difficult to study a section in isolation, it is then that the researcher sees the need to integrate it to the whole, in order to imagine and understand it.
In this context, some phenomena can only be explained when each of the parts that compose it are taken into account, since in turn these are interconnected and only until they come together to form a whole, can they be understood and explained.
At other times, to understand complex phenomena, the researcher is forced to expand the object of study and integrate it into his environment; hence the integrationist idea on the part of some authors, one of them is Kurt Lewin.
We can suppose that depending on the case study, a researcher could take a part of the system as a “whole”, for example, the behavior of an individual; but for another researcher it would only suppose a part of a system, if this one were studying the behavior of a population. In this sense, the second researcher would take the findings of the first as a part to integrate it into the results of his total investigation.
An important point to consider is communication, since knowledge enriches each specialist thanks to the great variety of information that is transmitted through communication networks. In this way, the study carried out by a specialist in biology can be favored by the findings published by another who studies physics, mathematics or sociology.
Within the reductionist approach, two aspects can be handled, the first one talks about choosing some general phenomena but these must be of a reasonable size and the second where the complexity of the system is taken into account and it is proposed to order a system by hierarchies. Bouldin proposes 9 levels in the hierarchy of systems.
According to Johansen, the system is defined in a general way, "as a set of parts or subsystems, which coordinate and interact with each other forming a whole, to achieve a common goal." In an organization, a system would be made up of the departments or areas of that organization.
In this sense, there are two lines of thought around the definition of systems, the first one started by Von Bertalanffy known as General Systems Theory, which aims at integrating science, and the second known as Systems Engineering, which it basically focuses on processes.
Each of the parts of a system has specific characteristics or attributes. For example, the rules, guidelines, process layout, number of employees, among others that can be found in a production control area.
In order for a subsystem or supersystem to be considered as such, they must meet certain systematic requirements, if not, then they are only dealing with an isolated characteristic or a function. In order to study these systems, subsystems or supersystems, you should always start from the simple to the complex; identifying each one of the parts and the characteristics that make them common, hence the Organization Levels are established and whether it is an open or closed system.
We can conclude that an open system is one in which all beings are alive and the closed system that which represents some physical process that does not contain living matter. Although it is called closed, in reality it tends to be a tight or strict system.
Some of the important characteristics of each of the systems are listed below:
| Characteristics of an open system | Characteristics of a closed system |
| Input current:
Reception of energy for operation and maintenance (import of inputs) |
It is isolated from its environment and operates with a small exchange of energy |
| Conversion process:
Conversion and transformation of energy (functions) |
There is little or no interaction with external agents. |
| Output current:
Positive and negative products (export of products) |
The values of its variables depend only on the factors contained in the system itself. |
| Feedback:
Information that comes through the senses |
To describe and define a total system, the author suggests that the researcher should consider the following, in no specific order and introducing the controls that he considers necessary:
- Define the objectives of the total system Describe the environment in which the system lives and develops The resources the system needs to function and maintain The components, characteristics and attributes of the system The management of the system
I found it interesting, when I saw the conference that was broadcast during the Future Congress 2018, on SYSTEMS, there was talk of a new paradigm, which apparently is not so new, since it has been brewing for more than 30 years.
Ecological sustainability is defined today as a network of relationships in a self-regulating system. This is interesting because in the area of natural sciences we talk about systems all the time, in chemistry when the atom is studied from its history, the philosophy that its concept entails, the participation in living and non-living systems, the formation of compounds and their participation in physical processes of nature, among others.
Frijof mentions that four dimensions are handled: Biological, cognitive, social and ecological. Taking the foregoing into consideration, researchers then require a new way of thinking about the relationships, patterns and contexts that each of the sciences handles. This new paradigm is known as Systemic Thinking.
The new trend considers life as a system made up of small parts.
This last sentence catches my attention, because in the subject of Biology and Ecology the levels of living matter are reviewed and we basically handle these concepts. However, he had not seen it as a system formed by networks, but it is explained only as the set of cells that make up an organ, the set of organs form a system and thus the degree of complexity increases until reaching the Biosphere.
Finally and it is important to consider that when a problem arises in the system, systemic solutions are required. This is due to the fact that all the parts are interconnected and interdependent on the others.
CONCLUSION
When studying a phenomenon, it is necessary to define its totality and the components that comprise it, in this way, the researcher does not lose sight of the objective or objectives that he wants to achieve.
Likewise, it must be understood that although a partiality is being studied, the system as such is not an isolated system and there are always some external factors that can alter it in some of its parts or in its entirety and that at the same time this system can be connected to a supersystem with similar or different characteristics.
In the end, it could be considered that all systems can be interrelated with each other.
We see a clear example in the study of the levels of organization of matter and living beings, where the chemical, physical, biological, social and mathematical sciences are intimately linked and without the contribution of one, a partiality is not understood of other.
When talking about Ecodesign, we cannot lose sight of the fact that design solutions must be based on the basic principles of ecology, and that both the government and civil society must participate to achieve a sustainable future.
Finally and according to the reading and the lecture, it will depend on the degree of sustainability; if a system is considered viable or not according to the products obtained at the end of the transformation of energy and matter. Hence, some are considered beneficial or harmful to an individual, a population or the environment in general.
Bibliographic references:
- Definition of. (2008). Definition of closed system - Definition of Available at: https://definicion.de/sistema-cerrado/. Johansen Bertoglio, O. (1993). Introduction to general systems theory. 8th ed. México, DF: LIMUSA / GRUPO NORIEGA. (2018). FUTURE CONGRESS 2018 - A SYSTEMIC VISION OF THE
LIFETIME. Available in:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zJV2bhBV44&t=184s.
