cybernetique

Alexander Riegler

Informations

• Publié par: rachid.elaidi
• Publié le: 06 janvier 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 17
• Langue: English

Extrait

Call for Papers Second-Order Science Special Issue ofConstructivist Foundationsto be published November 2014 Edited by Karl H. Müller and Alexander Riegler

Traditional science excludes the observer in an effort to manufacture objectivity – a strategy that worked well in the age of classical sciences. Many recent research areas such as human cognition and quantum physics, however, call observer -independence into question. Would including the observer in science threaten the firm nature of scientific insight, and is the second-order inclusion of the observer still science?

Historically, the inclusion of the observer was anticipated by the transition from (first - order) cybernetics to second -order cybernetics. While cybernetics (similar ly to all of science) was understood as “cybernetics of observed systems,” Heinz von Foerster et al. pressed for a second-order cybernetics that is defined as the “c ybernetics of observing systems” (which became one of the unifying themes across constructivist approaches ).

A second motivation for second-order science is domain-specific. Second-order science can be introduced as the science of science or as a science that operates on the products of normal or first-order science. Tests of clinical tests, evaluations of already ava ilable evaluations, models of models , cybernetics of cybernetics or sociology of sociology and many other self-reflexive issues can be viewed as the domain of second -order science.

Both motivations are strictly independent from one another. In principle, i t is possible to work on an issue of second -order science with traditional and objective methods, leaving the observer outside the realm of investigation. Likewise, observer -inclusive research can be pursued in a typical topic of normal or first -order research.

The general aim of this special issue is to investigate whether well -defined methods and procedures can be defined for second -order science that are both self-reflexive with respect to their domain and observer -inclusive. It is our goal that the rese arch outputs of second-order science can be examined through peer review, just as traditional science can. Our target is to provide a comprehensive overview of the potential of the new set of approaches to second-order science. Therefore, c ontributors to the special issue are invited to address the following critical questions:

What are the comparative advantages of observer -inclusive approaches for first - and second-order science? knowledge can be produced by shifting to second -order domains?Which type of What are the effects of second -order science on first-order research?  -order science outside second -order cyberneticsCan one find methods of second and outside constructivist approaches in general that can be adopted or accommodated by constructivist appr oaches?  -What is the special role and function of second -order cybernetics for second order science?

Over the last years, a new generation of second-order cyberneticians has produced a wave of books, articles, and other tangible objects that can be seen as the contemporary designs and instances of such broader second-order understanding of science :

Stuart A. Umplebyhas intensively published on (what he calls) “Science 2”, self - reflexivity, and the role of observers across financial, economic or societal sys tems (Umpleby 2007, 2010a, 2010b ); Louis Kauffmanhas produced insightful papers on self -reflexive logic, quantum mechanics, and the role of observers ( Kauffman 2003, 2005, 2009a, 2009b) ; Bernard Scotthas completed a compelling book entitledExplorations in Second- Order Cybernetics(Scott 2011); Ranulph Glanville(2009, 2012) will soon finish his three volume edition of the Black Boox; Karl H. Müllerhas published three volumes on the new science of cybernetics (Müller 2009, 2011, 2012). A fourth volume is planned for the end of 2013.

Based on this preliminary work, the special issue ofConstructivist Foundationswill have the following structure.

1. A compilation of the insights of the new generation of second -order cyberneticians who have produced significant new contributions in the field of second-order science. Thesekey authors ,will present an overview of current achievements significant results, and new research designs. Their articles will have a common structure focusing on specific domains and on the necessary rules and recipes for doing second-order investigations in these particular areas.

2. With this Call for Papers, additionalcontributing authorsare invited to discuss new approaches, tools, and practices of second-order research. These papers may either deal with the existing literature (of the key authors) on second-order approaches or come forward with further ideas and concepts pertaining to the broader definition of second - order science that are closely related to second-order cybernetics and other constructivist approaches.

3. Each article will be accompanied byOpen Peer Commentaries(OPC) and a response by the author of the article in order to provide a concentrated constructive interaction between the author and commentators. The c ommentators are asked to apply substantial criticism, interpretation, and elaboration as well as any pertinent complementary or supplementary material.

4. The special issue will conclude with a comprehensive second-order article aiming to produce a contemporary map of the new wave of second -order science in order to bring together these various approaches and to integrate them in a consistent manner. In other words, the concluding article will offer a second -order representation of contemporary second-order approaches.

A first draft of this special issue will be presented at the opening of the meeting of the American Society for Cybernetics in 2014 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of this society.

Article submissions

If you are interested in contribu ting to the issue, please let us know in your Expressions of Interest whether you intend to submit a scholarly paper and/or whether you want to contribute actively to the discussion with an Open Peer Commentary.

Expressions of interest should reach us by 15 February 2014. If you submit a paper, provide us with a short abstract of the topic you intend to write about. Submission of the full paper (in English) is due 15 May 2014. It is followed by adouble-blind reviewthat all submitted papers must undergo, including invited contributions. In the case of conditional acceptance, time will be allocated for the revisions requested. The special issue will be published in the November 2014 issue ofConstructivist Foundations. This will be also the first issue in the 10th anniversary year of the journal.

Please follow the guidelines at http://www.univie.ac.at/constructivism/journal /guidelines 

For your convenience, a Word template is available at http://www.univie.ac.at/constructivism/journal /guidelines/template.doc

Note that all publications are subject to anonymous (yet co nstructive)peer reviewing.

Declarations of interest in contributing, paper submissions, and all further inquiries should be sent to the editors atfounvistuctinstr/tocrea/o -dersocdnofni.snoitad 

Timetable

         

About the journal

15 February 2014: Expressions of interest 15 May 2014: Submission deadline for papers 1 August 2014: Revised papers due

1 October 2014: Open Peer Commentaries due 15 November 2014: Publication

Constructivist Foundationsis a scholarly peer-reviewed e-journal concerned with the critical interdisciplinary study of constructivist and related approaches to science and philosophy. It is indexed in the ISIArts & Humanities Citation Index(AHCI) and Current Contents/Arts & Human ities ranks. In Scopus’s journal ranking it 23rd among journals in history and philosophy of s cience, and 98th in philosophy in general. Currently, the journal has more than 7,000 subscribers.Constructivist Foundationsdoes not ask for author processing charges.

For more information, please see its web page at http://www.univie.ac.at/constructivism/journal 

References

Glanville R. (2009) The black boox. Volume 3: 39 steps. Edition echoraum, Vienna. Glanville R. (2012) The black boox. Volume 1: Cybernetic circles. Edition echoraum,

Vienna. Kauffman L. H. (2003) Eigenforms – Objects as tokens for eigenbehav iors. Cybernetics and Human Knowing 10(3–4): 73–90. Kauffman L. H. (2005) Eigen-forms. Kybernetes 34: 129–150. Kauffman L. H. (2009a) Laws of form and the logic of non-duality. Paper presented at the Conference on Science and Non-Duality, San Rafael CA, October 2009. Kauffman L. H. (2009b) Reflexivity and Eigenform: The Shape of Process. Constructivist Foundations 4(3): 121–137. Available at http://www.univie.ac.at/constructivism/journal/4/3/121.kauffman  Müller K. H. (2009) The new science of cybernetics . The evolution of living research designs. Volume 1: Methodology. Edition echoraum, Vienna. Müller K. H. (2011) The new science of cyberne tics. The evolution of living research designs. Volume 2: Theory. Edition echoraum, Vienna. Müller K. H. (2012) The new science of cybernetics. The evolution of living research designs. Volume 3: Research and design rules. Edition echoraum, Vienna. Scott B. (2011) Explorations in second-order cybernetics. Reflections on cybernetics, psychology and learning. Edition echoraum, Vienna. Umpleby S. A. (2007) Reflexivity in social systems: The theories of George Soros. Systems Research and Behavioral Science 24: 515–522. Available at http://www.gwu.edu/~umpleby/recent_papers/2007_SRBS_Reflexivity_Theory.pdf  Umpleby S. A. (2010a) From complexity to reflexivity: Underlying logics used in science. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 1: 15–26. http://www.gwu.edu/~umpleby/recen t_papers/2010%20EMCSR%20Complexity%20 an%20Reflexivity%20final.doc  Umpleby S. A. (2010b) Science 2: Is a broader conception of science still scien ce? Unpublished abstract available at http://www.gwu.edu/~umpleby/recent_papers/2010%20WMSCI%20science%202%2 0abstract.doc  

Additional material

A selected bibliography and other material can be found on http://www.univie.ac.at/constructivism/journal /special/second-order