Systems Theory

Systems theories are scientific descriptions not of single phenomena but of systematic relationships between individual parts. A system is generally understood as composed of elements that stand in a lasting connection with one another, thus forming a complex whole that can be separated by boundaries from an environment of elements not belonging to the system. Systems theory is based on the idea that the whole is irreducible to the sum of its parts (emergence) and that through the interaction among the parts, a specific capacity (function) is made possible. Systems research investigates the emergent order and functional logic of these connections based on the assumption that each larger unified whole possesses properties and regularities that are not observed in the parts. Whereas microanalytic research efforts, ...