LUDWIG VON

BERTALANFFY'S
GENERAL SYSTEM THEORY
 INTRODUCTION
Karl Ludwig von Bertalanffy
Born- September 19, 1901 at Atzgersdorf near Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Died- June 12, 1972 (aged 70) - Heart attack

Was an Austrian biologist known as one of the founders of general

systems theory (GST). This is an interdisciplinary practice that
describes systems with interacting components, applicable to
biology, cybernetics (science which involves studying the way
electronic machines and human brains work) and other fields.
In 1918, Bertalanffy started his studies at the university level in
philosophy and art history, first at the University of Innsbruck and
then at the University of Vienna. Ultimately, Bertalanffy had to make a
choice between studying philosophy of science and biology; he chose
the latter because, according to him, one could always become a
philosopher later, but not a biologist.

For the next six years he concentrated on a project of "theoretical

biology" which focused on the philosophy of biology.

During that period von Bertalanffy as a young scholar was not only
interested in biology and philosophy of science. He was also
interested in history and generally in humanities.
There are two kinds of thinkers, scholars and scientists. The
first are the 'trail blazers' who propose new revolutionary
ideas, point to new directions for scientific and intellectual
developments, create new paradigms of science and
scholarship, but leave the details to others. The second are
those who follow the new trail, carry out careful
experimentation and research within the established
paradigm, and work out the precise formulations of theories
in a particular domain of knowledge
 Ludwig von Bertalanffy, who was both a scientist and a scholar,
represented the first kind, he was a 'trail blazer.' He was critical of
the 'Cartesian' cult of analytical thinking which prevailed in modern
science and philosophy.

Scholars- who create new paradigms

Scientist- those who work within the established ones

FAMILY LIFE
Bertalanffy met his wife, Maria, in April 1924 in the
Austrian Alps. They were hardly ever apart for the next
forty-eight years.[6] She wanted to finish studying but
never did, instead devoting her life to Bertalanffy's
career. Later, in Canada, she would work both for him
and with him in his career, and after his death she
compiled two of Bertalanffy's last works. They had one
child, a son who followed in his father's footsteps by
making his profession in the field of cancer research.
Ludwig von
Bertalanffy
There are many definitions of a
general system, some
properties that definitions
include are: an overall goal of
the system, parts of the system
and relationships between
these parts, and emergent
properties of the interaction
between the parts of the system
that are not performed by any
part on its own.
Bertalanffy aimed to bring
together under one heading
the organismic science that he
had observed in his work as a
.
biologist. He wanted to use
the word system for those
principles that are common to
systems in general.
 General System Theory
There can be no doubt that Ludwig von Bertalanffy's work represents one
of the most important theoretical contributions of the 20th century.
Among many other things, his writings (and his personal activities) inspired
the systems science movement, a multi-disciplinary effort to develop
general principles for systems of all kinds.

Many theorists these days doubt that any universal theory is possible. It is
said that the many different kinds of systems in nature and human societies
are so diverse, so different in character, that the commonalities between
them are trivially important compared to their deep differences.
Nevertheless, over the past 50 years we have gained a much better
understanding of 'how' complex systems work.
 General System Theory
System is complex of interacting elements and that they are open to, and
interact with their environment.
They can acquire qualitatively new properties through, emergence, since
they are in a continual evolution.
Part-to-whole and whole-to-part thinking about making connections
between various elements so that they can fit together as a whole.

IMPORTANCE OF THE THEORY:

-Proposed to better understand the system of the world around us. It offers a
unique perspective and framework.

-This theory helps us to better conceptualize human beings, communication,

their communities and their environment.
 ·OPEN SYSTEMS
·CLOSED SYSTEMS
Open systems theory was
A theoretical system that do
particularly useful for
not interact with the
understanding of .
environment. It’s not
embryological development
influenced by the
differentiation and growth
surroundings.
processes of living organisms.
 Characteristics of System Theory

Goal-directedness
-Systems are goal oriented and engage in feedback in order to
meet the goals of the organization

Holistic View
-System theory focuses on the arrangement of and relations
between the parts that connect them into whole
 Basic Elements of a System
Input
- Maintenance Inputs (energetic imports that sustain system)
-Production Inputs (energetic imports which are processed to yield a
productive outcome)

Throughput
-Work done on those resources used to produce a product.

Output
-Exit or change the system.
-System return the product to the environment
 Basic Elements of a System
Process
-provides a series of mechanical or chemical operations
on something in order to change or preserve it.

Feedback
-Information about a reaction to a product
-used as basis for improvement

It can be:
Positive Feedback or Negative Feedback
Lu
IV. Major aims of general system theory:
(1) There is a general tendency towards integration in the various
sciences, natural and social.
(2) Such integration seems to be centered in a general theory of
systems.
(3) Such theory may be an important means for aiming at exact
theory in the nonphysical fields of science.
(4) Developing unifying principles running "vertically" through the
universe of the individual sciences, this theory brings us nearer to the
goal of the unity of science.
(5) This can lead to a much-needed integration in scientific education.
Ludwig von Bertalanffy, a distinguished biologist,
occupies an important position in the intellectual
history of the twentieth century. His contributions
went beyond biology, and extended to psychology,
psychiatry, sociology, cybernetics, history and
philosophy.
 GENERAL SYSTEM THEORY
Therefore, is a general science of "wholeness" which up till now was
considered a vague, hazy, and semimetaphysical concept. In
elaborate form it would be a logicomathematical discipline, in itself
purely formal but applicable to the various empirical sciences. For
sciences concerned with "organized wholes," it would be of similar
significance to that which probability theory has for sciences
concerned with "chance events"; the latter, too, is a formal
mathematical discipline which can be applied to most diverse
fields, such as thermodynamics, biological and medical
experimentation, genetics, life insurance statistics, etc.
Thank you for
listening!