Contents	6
	Preface	10
	Foreword	16
	Chapter 1 THE BACKGROUND TO SYSTEMICS	18
	1.1 Introduction	18
	1.2 What is Systemics ?	20
	1.3 A short, introductory history	22
	1.4 Fundamental theoretical concepts	32
	1.5 Sets, structured sets, systems and subsystems	55
	1.6 Other approaches	58
	Chapter 2 GENERALIZING SYSTEMICS AND THE ROLE OF THE OBSERVER	64
	2.1 The contribution of Von Foerster	65
	2.2 The role of Observer in scientific theories	67
	2.3 Uncertainty Principles in Science	72
	2.4 The DYnamic uSAge of Models (DYSAM)	81
	Chapter 3 EMERGENCE	106
	3.1 A short history of the concept	106
	3.2 Collective Beings	114
	Chapter 4 HOW TO MODEL EMERGENCE: TRADITIONAL METHODS	161
	4.1 A general classification of models of emergence	161
	4.2 Dynamical Systems Theory for modelling emergence: the basic concepts	165
	4.3 Dynamical Systems Theory for modelling emergence: bifurcation phenomena	176
	4.4 Emergence phenomena in spatio- temporal systems and Dissipative Structures	187
	4.5 The intrinsic limitations of traditional methods	204
	Chapter 5 HOW TO MODEL EMERGENCE: NON- TRADITIONAL METHODS	211
	5.1 Synergetics	211
	5.2 The theory of phase transitions	217
	5.3 Quantum Field Theory	246
	5.4 Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking	255
	5.5 Non-ideal models of emergence	265
	5.5.1 Neural Networks	266
	5.5.2 Cellular Automata	277
	5.5.3 Artificial Life	281
	5.6 The role of noise	289
	5.7 The relationship between traditional and non- traditional models	295
	Chapter 6 THE ROLE OF ERGODICITY	307
	6.1 Some definitions related to ergodicity	309
	6.2 Ergodicity and stationarity	316
	6.3 Ergodicity in Collective Beings	318
	6.4 Emergence, Collective Beings and Ergodicity	322
	6.5 Further considerations	325
	6.6 Some remarks and possible lines of research	329
	Chapter 7 APPLICATIONS TO SOCIAL SYSTEMS ( 1)	336
	7.1 Growth, Development and Sustainable Development	338
	7.2 Ethics	351
	Chapter 8 APPLICATIONS TO SOCIAL SYSTEMS ( 2):	368
	8.1 Systems Archetypes and Collective Beings	368
	8.2 Virtual systems	374
	8.3 Other applications	386
	Chapter 9 APPLICATIONS TO COGNITIVE SYSTEMS: BEYOND COMPUTATIONALISM	401
	9.1 TRADITIONAL COGNITIVE SCIENCE	401
	9.2 Is Cognition equivalent to Computation?	408
	9.3 Theories of consciousness	411
	9.4 Embodied Cognition	414
	Appendix 1 SOME SYSTEMIC PROPERTIES	420
	Appendix 2 SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT	453
	Index	471