The purpose of a system is what it does: Difference between revisions
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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* [[wiktionary:the proof of the pudding is in the eating|The proof of the pudding is in the eating]] (Wiktionary) |
* [[wiktionary:the proof of the pudding is in the eating|The proof of the pudding is in the eating]] (Wiktionary) |
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*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ6orMfmorg What is Cybernetics? Conference by Stafford Beer] |
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ6orMfmorg What is Cybernetics? Conference by Stafford Beer (video recording)] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 21:36, 14 March 2021
 | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (December 2014) |
The purpose of a system is what it does (POSIWID) is a systems thinking heuristic coined by Stafford Beer.[1]
Origins of the term
Stafford Beer coined the term POSIWID and used it many times in public addresses. In his address to the University of Valladolid, Spain, in October 2001, he said "According to the cybernetician, the purpose of a system is what it does. This is a basic dictum. It stands for bald fact, which makes a better starting point in seeking understanding than the familiar attributions of good intention, prejudices about expectations, moral judgment, or sheer ignorance of circumstances."[1]
Uses
The term is widely used by systems theorists. It is generally invoked to counter the notion that the purpose of a system can be read from the intentions of those who design, operate, or promote it. From a cybernetic perspective complex systems are not controllable by simple notions of management, and interventions in a system can best be understood by looking at how they affect observed system behavior. When "side effects" or "unintended consequences" reveal that system behavior is poorly understood, then taking the POSIWID perspective allows the more political understandings of system behavior to be balanced by a more straightforwardly descriptive view.
The term is used in many fields including biology[2] and management.[3]
See also
- The proof of the pudding is in the eating (Wiktionary)
- What is Cybernetics? Conference by Stafford Beer (video recording)
References
- ^ a b Beer, Stafford (2002-01-01). "What is cybernetics?". Kybernetes. 31 (2): 209–219. doi:10.1108/03684920210417283. ISSN 0368-492X.
- ^ Boogerd, Fred (2007). Systems Biology. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science. ISBN 978-0-444-52085-2.
- ^ Ward, Aidan; Smith, John (2003). Trust and Mistrust : Radical Risk Strategies in Business Relationships. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-85318-4.