论贝塔朗菲的“一般系统论”与圣菲研究所的“复杂适应系统理论”的区别

由于贝塔朗菲的系统论和圣菲研究所的复杂性理论都宣称探讨事物系统的"涌现"或"整体大于部分之和"的性质,导致许多学者认为复杂性研究只是在系统论研究范围内兴起的新思潮,殊不知"一般系统论"和"复杂适应系统理论"在原理上大相径庭.前者研究的是动力来自整体、实行自上而下集中式控制的中心化的个体,后者研究的是动力来自要素、实行自下而上分散式协调的无中心的群体;前者认为无序性与系统性格格不入,后者认为有序性和无序性的结合("混沌的边缘")是能动系统存在的条件;前者产生于对还原论研究方法的否定,后者至少部分地回归了还原论或创立了新型的还原论,等等.总的来说,前者代表着对简单系统的研究,而后者代表着对复杂系统的研究,因此复杂性理论扬弃和包含系统论.

On the Difference Between Von Bertalanffy' General System Theory and Santa Fe Institute's Complex Adaptive Systems Theory

Both Von Bertalanffy and Santa Fe Institute argue that they explore the quality of emergence or "the whole is more than the addition of the parts".Therefore,with no idea of divergence between Bertalanffy and Institute in regard to principles,many scholars mistake the study of complexity for a new trend of thought in the scope of the system theory.However,the former focuses his study on the individual in the whole by applying the unifying control from top to bottom,while the latter on the center-less group from the parts by applying scattered coordination from bottom to top.The former holds that the disorder is incompatible with systematic quality,but the latter deems that the mixture of order and disorder("edge of chaos") is an indispensable condition for existence of active systems.The former conducts his study from the negation of the reductionist research method,while the latter returnes at least partially to the reductionism or foundes the new type of reductionism.In a word,the former represents the study of simple system,while the latter,that of complex system.Therefore,the theory of complexity surpasses and contains the theory of system.