Basic System Theory

The most interesting, fascinating and frustrating principles in nature are certainly [[Emergence|emergence]] and [[Self-Organization|self-organization]]. Emergence is associated with the observation that a system is more than the sum of its parts. In some systems, fascinating patterns and interesting behaviors can appear. Yet common sense says that things do not appear suddenly out of nowhere without reason (contrary to the principle of [[Emergence|emergence]]), and that things do not organize themselves (contrary to the principle of [[Self-Organization|self-organization]]). Everybody knows that these concepts do not belong to everyday occurrences. And yet some examples exist. This unusual occurrence is the reason why emergence and self-organization are interesting and fascinating. They are interesting and fascinating because they don't happen normally in everyday life. They are of great interest, because they are rare. They are possible, but they are the EXCEPTION, not the RULE. If they occur, then they can be found mostly at borders, boundaries and margins. At the edge or margin of something, in the concept of [[Emergence|emergence]] usually at the border between microscopic or macroscopic regions, in the concept of [[Self-Organization|self-organization]] mostly at the boundary between system and environment. This is not surprising, because in the broader sense, the emergence of something is always possible at a clear border or boundary. Nicholas Humphrey begins his book "A History of the Mind" with the words "Everything that is interesting in nature happens at the boundaries: the surface of the earth, the membrane of a cell, the moment of catastrophe, the start and finish of a life". Although they are interesting, many of the concepts related to [[Self-Organization|self-organization]] have to be treated with care. There are many [[Buzzword|buzzwords]] among them, and some describe only very special phenomena. There is certainly no comprehensive theory of [[Autopoiesis|autopoiesis]] or theory of non-equilibrium systems.