General Systems Theory: Buckminster Fuller: Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth

We will be covering Section 5: General Systems Theory.

See CJ’s introduction to Bucky’s thought here: https://youtu.be/sPjcJjnHzKU
See the video of the first Meetup on this book on Sections 1&2 here: https://youtu.be/XEKNqevaPpU

“We begin by eschewing the role of specialists who deal only in parts. Becoming deliberately expansive instead of contractive, we ask, "How do we think in terms of wholes?" If it is true that the bigger the thinking becomes the more lastingly effective it is, we must ask, "How big can we think?"

One of the modern tools of high intellectual advantage is the development of what is called general systems theory. Employing it we begin to think of the largest and most comprehensive systems, and try to do so scientifically. We start by inventorying all the important, known variables that are operative in the problem. But if we don’t really know how big "big" is, we may not start big enough, and are thus likely to leave unknown, but critical, variables outside the system which will continue to plague us. Interaction of the unknown variables inside and outside the arbitrarily chosen limits of the system are probably going to generate misleading or outrightly wrong answers. If we are to be effective, we are going to have to think in both the biggest and most minutely-incisive ways permitted by intellect and by the information thus far won through experience...

It is therefore possible to initiate our general systems formulation at the all inclusive level of universe whereby no strategic variables will be omitted. There is an operational grand strategy of General Systems Analysis that proceeds from here. It is played somewhat like the game of "Twenty Questions," but G. S. A. is more efficient-that is, is more economical‹ in reaching its answers.

Having adequately defined the whole system we may proceed to subdivide progressively. This is accomplished through progressive division into two parts‹one of which, by definition, could not contain the answer-and discarding of the sterile part. Each progressively-retained live part is called a "bit" because of its being produced by the progressive binary "yes" or "no" bi-section of the previously residual live part. The magnitude of such weeding operations is determined by the number of successive bits necessary to isolate the answer.

How many "bi-secting bits" does it take to get rid of all the irrelevancies and leave in lucid isolation that specific information you are seeking? We find that the first subdividing of the concept of universe-bit one‹is into what we call a system. A system subdivides universe into all the universe outside the system (macrocosm) and all the rest of the universe which is inside the system (microcosm) with the exception of the minor fraction of universe which constitutes the system itself.”

— Buckminster Fuller

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Read and discuss Buckminster Fuller’s 44 page masterpiece “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth” with us. Each week we will cover two sections of the book—just around 10 pages.

To read the book on-line here are two options:

A 44 page PDF is at http://designsciencelab.com/resources/OperatingManual_BF.pdf

A web-based copy is at https://web.archive.org/web/20041028062223/http://www.futurehi.net/docs/OperatingManual.html

Reading is strongly recommended to get the fullest value from the Meetups, but not required.

Format:

1. Presentation by Shrikant
2. Panel discussion with Bucky folks
3. General Q&A
4. Breakout rooms with 2 questions
5. Takeaways

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See all the upcoming Daily Zoom Meetups at a Glance here: https://www.meetup.com/52LivingIdeas/events/calendar/
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