The Non-Systemic Usages of Systems as Reductionism: Quasi-Systems and Quasi-Systemics

Abstract

Usual reductionism considers systemic, acquired properties as non-systemic, possessed properties. We consider here the non-systemic usages of systems, misunderstood as non-interacting virtual objects or devices, and the misunderstanding between non-complex (first Systemics) and complex systems (second Systemics) as another form of reductionism. This reductionism leads to inappropriate and ineffective approaches, particularly dealing with complex systems such as socioeconomic systems, whose complexity is often misunderstood and neglected. However, this reductionism should be distinguished from mixed usages of systemic approaches suitable to deal with multiple, dynamic, temporary, and partial systemic natures of phenomena related to complex systems. We consider that we should move from the well-defined, often simplistic, world of Systemics to Quasi-Systemics, which is intended as constructionist Systemics, always in progress, non-ideological, multiple, contradiction-tolerant, incomplete, and in its turn emergent. Rather than recommending a pragmatic attitude, we mention two approaches, one methodological approach called Logical Openness and another, the Meta-Structure approach, which is suitable to more formally deal with such multiple aspects and-based on mesoscopic representations-suitable to represent quasiness.

The Role of the Excluded

“…Even these two approaches, i.e., revelations and emergent understandings, could very well coexist and support each other, up to the point of requiring episodes of mutual incompatibility as extreme cases. This theme is combined with the constructivist truth, which excludes uniqueness and static nature as (at best) unrealistic in science [9] (p. 6), [10].…”

Domain-Driven Design and Soft Systems Methodology as a Framework to Avoid Software Crises

“…Bergström and Dekker (2014), studying organizations in crisis situations, describe resilience as an emergent system property stating that "the macro-behavior of the system emerges from microbehavior, but not through direct control". Minati (2018) presents the concept of Quasi-Systemics, distinguishes between "first and second systemics" and recommends that we should pay attention to the confusion of systems and non-systems and to avoid reductionist simplification misunderstandings. In his example he refers to crises distinguishing them in those that have systemic nature and those with a non-systemic nature.…”

Big Data: From Forecasting to Mesoscopic Understanding. Meta-Profiling as Complex Systems

“…Specifically, they need to consider the user's cognitive processes, for instance, their abilities to memorise recognise, make logical inferences, and find properties. 7 An ecosystem should be viewed as a dynamical community of multiple systems and quasi-multiple systems ( [8], pp. 166-170) formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment.…”

“…The focus is on ongoing profiles, in which the arising properties trace trajectories, rather than assuming that we can foresee them based on the past.We assume that dealing with Big Data as a phenomenon contains not only traces of past events, but also the assumption of having properties that are independent from the original event, when studied as a virtual collective being [6]. Thus, we consider the occurrence of ongoing, non-equivalent, multiple properties with any initial temporal beginning, duration, and variable combination in conceptual correspondence with the nature of quasi-systems, which occur when a system is not always the same system and or even a system at all [7,8].We then mention the criticality of the level of description, as well as the scalarity assumed to detect the properties as well as the conceptual ineffectiveness of increasing the quantity of data available. Before proposing new approaches allowed by the conceptual 'definitions' mentioned above, we consider the differences between models and profiles.…”

“…We assume that dealing with Big Data as a phenomenon contains not only traces of past events, but also the assumption of having properties that are independent from the original event, when studied as a virtual collective being [6]. Thus, we consider the occurrence of ongoing, non-equivalent, multiple properties with any initial temporal beginning, duration, and variable combination in conceptual correspondence with the nature of quasi-systems, which occur when a system is not always the same system and or even a system at all [7,8].…”