SIG: Relational Science
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The Relational Science Special Integration Group was launched...
Focus of the Relational Science SIG
The Relational Science (RS) SIG pursues a general systems inquiry into the nature and origin of complexity, wholeness, and life following the theories of mathematical biologist, Robert Rosen and a recent synthesis called R-theory. We approach the subject from the perspective of causality of and beyond material process, similarly to Aristotle's 'higher' causes, but as context for the dynamical causes. The focus is on cyclical causality as a natural fundamental, modelled as a natural modelling relation itself and using category theory to describe information-related inverse entailments (generally not allowed in mechanisms). In the theory there is a structural entailment (well known as dynamics from classical approaches) and a functional entailment (which is the causal inverse, describing how functions emerge from state and context). A recent synthesis called “R-theory” defines this cyclical relation between all four causes as "holon", which thus becomes the new fundamental unit of analysis, as opposed to the classical approach of defining material states and structures as the fundamental. The result is an extremely powerful and applicable description of nature from a holistic perspective, explaining sustainability and the existence of life and consciousness, as well as the natural reduction of generally interactive systems to mechanisms. In further developing these ideas, alternative approaches, applications, and tests are rigorously considered.
We advance this work through research, collaboration and Fellowships, reporting annually to ISSS. For example, In 2016 Dr. Roberto Poli (UNESCO Chair in Anticipatory Systems) organized a two-month Fellowship in South Africa on relational theory. The 2016 ISSS conference and SRBS yearbook were organized according to these ideas of a "whole" system. In 2018 Leonie Solomons convened a special working group in Sri Lanka to consider the nature and origin of structure. Dr. Mary Edson led IFSR Team 6, which completed a book in 2016 using relational theory to develop a framework for Systems Research. This SIG addresses the Rosen relational theory frameworks, applications and tests. Examples of included topics are listed below. Development: Category theory logic of complex systems, holons, inverse 'functional' entailment, cyclical causality, etc.; Critique and comparison with other theories; Role in General Systems Theory and systems philosophy.
Application and Testing: Sustainability science & Ecological niche modeling; Information science and socio-ecological informatics; Evolution theory and origins of life; Cosmology and physics: Vedic meta-science and pre-historical civilization; 2nd Order Cybernetics (entailment of consciousness); Psychology and spiritual inquiry.
Education: Basic principles for K-12, especially under the heading of "system literacy" and "ecological literacy"; Undergraduate and Graduate curricula; Public outreach and application to daily life.
The SIG also focuses on the coherence of AR and other SIGs in the ISSS. The last focus was on the Critical Social Theory perspective that some action researchers share with Critical Systems Thinking.
Chairs, Members and Reading Materials
Members
Reading Materials
Below are reading lists of seminal papers in AR as well as the latest publications in the field of AR from a systems thinking perspective:
- https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings63rd/article/view/3637
- https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings61st/article/view/3123
- https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings60th/article/view/3004
- https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings59th/article/view/2689
- http://crisis%20science%20for%20sustainability%20john%20kineman/
- https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings58th/article/view/2176
- https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings58th/article/view/2348
- https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings58th/article/view/2349
- https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings56th/article/view/1836
- https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings55th/article/view/1715
Links to videos
Below are links to videos from discussion sessions attended by ISSS members discussing their use of AR.