This section of the site is about systems philosophy, systems thinking, systems science, systems methodology, systems engineering and systems management.
I set it up initially so that interested students might find a convenient starting place for their studies, but it has proved to be of much wider interest. To explore, click on the appropriate link below...
Systems Philosophy examines why the idea of systems is both inevitable and so incredibly vital. As the world becomes inexorably more complex, we need to manage that complexity, to be able to see past it, if we are to understand the non-linear, dynamic universe in which we live. Out of the philosophy came forth systems science...
Systems science is a young discipline, born of necessity to address issues and problems with which the classic hard sciences cannot cope, and where Cartesian reduction fails to serve. Initially backed up by General Systems Theory, it developed into a science of wholes and of open systems, incorporating the life sciences along with the harder applied sciences.
Systems Approach is a term used to describe the way in which complex problems and situations are approached, not in a piecemeal fashion, but as a whole.
System models are simple, useful, system-theoretic ways of representing the natural, transcendental and man-made world. Their value is in their simplicity and in their ability to conceal complexity and reveal the underlying nature of complex situations and ideas.
Complex, situations overwhelm our ability to comprehend and manage. We need system models to enable system thinking, which is an essential adjunct to systems engineering...
… which incorporates systems design (sometimes called systems architecting), the key element of systems engineering for innovation, creativity and the management of complexity
Systems engineering can refer to the development of projects, businesses, industries and even to national socio-economic systems. Systems engineering has its own systems engineering philosophy, which reveals why systems engineering is so important in our modern world. The 5-layer model of systems engineering shows how systems engineering affects all aspects of our world And there is even a Guide to the Practice of Systems Engineering - getting old now, but still useful - and simple!
Systems architecture is the backbone of any system. Yet there seems to be little science involved in their conception and design - instead, they seem to just happen. Architectonics is the study of systems architecture...
And then there is the Systems Methodology, which ties everything together, showing the complete process from identifying a complex problem right through to creating, and proving, a solution system. The Systems Methodology incorporates several systems methods, notably the Rigorous Soft Method, and the TRIAD Building System, both of which stand as systems methodologies in their own right, but which work together to bring power to the Systems Methodology.
To make the Systems Methodology more comprehensible, it is applied in the creation of an advanced solution system, Land Force 2010, which shows how applying the Systems Methodology results in creative, innovative, optimal designs, setting targets for engineering, psychology, economics, classical science, organization, management, and many, many more...
Then, to make things more available, there are some two dozen "Prof's Videos" which cover just about every aspect of systems, systems thinking, systems design, systems research and, of course, systems engineering. Each video tells a complete story in its own right, while the full set covers the subject from end to end - a full systems study course.
And as if that were not enough, there are "Prof's Books" on the same subjects, but this time for the more seriously minded student, practitioner, or seeker of enlightenment. Included is an on-line e-book, "Getting to Grips with Complexity" which some might find interesting, delving as it does into complexity and chaos.
