Systems theory

Systems theory studies how interacting components form organized wholes, emphasizing relationships, boundaries, feedback, and behavior that cannot be explained by isolated parts alone.

System: A set of interacting elements organized to achieve or produce a characteristic behavior. Systems theory takes the system, rather than an isolated component, as its unit of analysis.
Feedback: A process in which a system's output influences its subsequent input or behavior. Feedback links a system's behavior to the conditions that shape its next state.
Ludwig von Bertalanffy: An Austrian biologist who developed general systems theory as an interdisciplinary approach. His work gave systems theory a foundational account of open systems and organization.
Systems biology: The study of biological components and their interactions as integrated networks. It applies system-level analysis to explain how molecular interactions produce biological functions.
Reductionism: An approach that explains complex phenomena by analyzing their simpler components. Systems theory resists explanations that ignore relationships and organization among parts.
System boundary: A conceptual or physical distinction separating a system from its environment. Choosing a boundary determines which components and interactions count as part of the system.
Positive feedback: Feedback that amplifies a change or deviation in a system. Amplifying loops explain runaway growth and reinforcing patterns within systems.
General systems theory: An interdisciplinary program seeking principles common to systems across different fields. It is the broad foundational program most closely associated with systems theory's origins.
Ecological systems theory: An approach to ecology that studies organisms, populations, and environments as interacting systems. Ecology provides a direct setting for analyzing nested systems and exchanges with environments.
Holism: The view that wholes have properties or meanings not reducible to their parts. Holism shares systems theory's attention to wholes but is a broader philosophical position.

Linked from 15 pages