Ecology of Mind

The metaphor '''Ecology of Mind''' has been coined by Gregory Bateson,
for instance in his book "Steps to an ecology of mind".
In the [[Society of Mind]] approach, we try to understand
the mind as a society, as a social group of interacting
agents. In the ecology of mind approach, we try to understand
the mind as an ecology, as a network of interactions.

Bateson's idea of an "Ecology of Mind" and Minsky's idea of a
"Society of Mind" have something in common.
Both are similar because they try to describe a whole system 
of interacting entities - species for ecology and agents
for society. Both are very interesting, because they
maybe help to connect psychology with 
neuroscience. A useful theory of this kind has much
in common with ecology or sociology: it must describe 
[[Complex Adaptive System|complex adaptive systems]] which consist of many elements - 
systems that are able to adjust and adapt themselves.

{| border="0" cellpadding="5" width="100%"
|-  
! bgcolor="#70b0e0" width="25%" align="left" | 
! bgcolor="#eedd90" width="25%" align="left" | Ecology of Mind 
! bgcolor="#bbbbbb" width="25%" align="left" | Society of Mind
! bgcolor="#77bb99" align="left" | Biology
|-
| bgcolor="#80c0ff" valign="top" |
* System
* Individual
* Collective
* Total
* Flow
* Interaction

| bgcolor="#ffeea0" valign="top" |
* Ecosystem
* Species 
* Populations
* Ecological Community 
* Energy flow
* [[Food web]] 

| bgcolor="#cccccc" valign="top" |
* Cognitive System
* Agents	
* Agent population
* Mind
* Information Flow 
* Associations / Social Network of the Mind

| bgcolor="#88ccaa" valign="top" |
* Biological System
* Neurons
* Neural Assemblies
* Brain 
* Information Flow
* Associations
|}


Ecology is the study of the ecosystem and the environment as 
it relates to living organisms. It is the study of interactions
between organisms and their environment and tries to describe how
living systems are connected. A large variety of species and
a huge network of interactions - a [[Food web|food web]] - is characteristic 
for Ecology. Gregory Bateson thinks the nature of the mind
can be understood as a network of connections and interactions 
relating the individual with his society and his species 
and with the universe at large. 

While the key feature of an '''ecosystem''' is the transmission of energy
through its different components, the key feature of the '''mind''' is the 
transmission of information through its different components. In the former
case, energy flows through the system, in the latter information (or electrical
energy).

== Books ==

* Gregory Bateson, [http://books.google.com/books?id=Wfe2t_qzaHEC Steps to an Ecology of Mind], University Of Chicago Press, 1972