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Author: V. Turchin, C. Joslyn,
Date : Aug 1993
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Consider a system S of any kind. Suppose that there is a way to make some number of copies from it, possibly with variations. Suppose that these systems are united into a new system S' which has the systems of the S type as its subsystems, and includes also an additional mechanism which controls the behavior and production of the S-subsystems. Then we call S' a metasystem with respect to S, and the creation of S' a metasystem transition. As a result of consecutive metasystem transitions a multilevel structure of control arises, which allows complicated forms of behavior.
In Turchin's book "The Phenomenon of Science" (Columbia University Press, 1977) it is shown that the major steps in evolution, both biological, and cultural, are nothing else but metasystem transitions of a large scale. The concept of metasystem transition allows us to introduce a kind of objective quantitative measure of evolution and distinguish between evolution in the positive direction, progress, and what we consider an evolution in the negative direction, regress. In the present node we outline the main ideas of this book.
When we speak of cybernetic systems, we can describe them either in terms of their structures, or phenomenologically, in terms of their functioning. We cannot claim at the present time that we know the structure of the human brain well enough to explain thinking as the functioning of that structure. However we can observe evolutionizing systems and make conclusions about their internal structure from a phenomenological description of how they function.
From the functional point of view the metasystem transition is the case where some activity A, which is characteristic of the top control system of a system S, becomes itself controlled as a metasystem transition from S to S' takes place. Thus the functional aspect of metasystem transitions can be represented by formulas of this kind:
control of A = A'
When a phenomenological description of activities of some systems fits this formula we have all reasons to believe that this is a result of a metasystem transition in the physical structure of the systems. Here is the sequence of metasystem transitions which led, starting from the appearance of organs of motion, to the appearance of human thought and human society:
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