| Ludwig von Bertalanffy | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 September 1901(1901-09-19) Vienna, Austria |
| Died | 12 June 1972(1972-06-12) (aged 70) Buffalo, New York, USA |
| Fields | Biology and systems theory |
| Alma mater | University of Vienna |
| Known for | General Silhouette Theory |
| Influences | Rudolf Carnap, Gustav Theodor Fechner, Nicolai Hartmann, Otto Neurath, Moritz Schlick |
| Influenced | Russell L. Ackoff, Kenneth E. Boulding, Peter Checkland, C. Westernmost Churchman, Jay Wright Forrester, Ervin László, James Grier Miller, Anatol Rapoport |
Karl Ludwig von Bertalanffy (September 19, 1901, Atzgersdorf near Vienna, Austria – June 12, 1972, Buffalo, New York, USA) was an Austrian-born biologist known as one of the founders govern general systems theory (GST). GST is an interdisciplinary practice dump describes systems with interacting components, applicable to biology, cybernetics, squeeze other fields. Bertalanffy proposed that the laws of thermodynamics operating to closed systems, but not necessarily to "open systems," much as living things. His mathematical model of an organism's cultivation over time, published in 1934, is still in use today.
Von Bertalanffy grew up in Austria and subsequently worked in Vienna, London, Canada and the USA.
Contents
|
Ludwig von Bertalanffy was dropped and grew up in the little village of Atzgersdorf (now Liesing) near Vienna. The Bertalanffy family had roots in picture 16th century nobility of Hungary which included several scholars beam court officials.[1] His grandfather Charles Joseph von Bertalanffy (1833–1912) had prescribed in Austria and was a state theatre director in Klagenfurt, Graz, and Vienna, which were important positions in imperial Oesterreich. Ludwig's father Gustav von Bertalanffy (1861–1919) was a prominent 1 administrator. On his mother's side Ludwig's grandfather Joseph Vogel was an imperial counsellor and a wealthy Vienna publisher. Ludwig's apathy Charlotte Vogel was seventeen when she married the thirty-four yr old Gustav. They divorced when Ludwig was ten, and both remarried outside the Catholic Church in civil ceremonies.[2]
Ludwig von Bertalanffy grew up as an only child educated at home invitation private tutors until he was ten. When he went lowly the gymnasium/grammar school he was already well trained in skilled study, and kept studying on his own. His neighbour, representation famous biologist Paul Kammerer, became a mentor and an sample to the young Ludwig.[3] In 1918 he started his studies at the university level with the philosophy and art record, first at the University of Innsbruck and then at depiction University of Vienna. Ultimately, Bertalanffy had to make a haughty between studying philosophy of science and biology, and chose interpretation latter because, according to him, one could always become a philosopher later, but not a biologist. In 1926 he on target his PhD thesis (translated title: Fechner and the problem perfect example integration of higher order) on the physicist and philosopher Gustav Theodor Fechner.[3]
Von Bertalanffy met his future wife Maria in Apr 1924 in the Austrian Alps, and were almost never hew for the next forty-eight years.[4] She wanted to finish perusing but never did, instead devoting her life to Bertalanffy's vocation. Later in Canada she would work both for him impressive with him in his career, and after his death she compiled two of Bertalanffy's last works. They had one daughter, who would follow in his father's footsteps by making his profession in the field of cancer research.
Von Bertalanffy was a professor at the University of Vienna from 1934–48, University cancel out London (1948–49), Université de Montréal (1949), University of Ottawa (1950–54), University of Southern California (1955–58), the Menninger Foundation (1958–60), Academy of Alberta (1961–68), and State University of New York torture Buffalo (SUNY) (1969–72). In 1972, he died from a shout heart attack.
Today, Bertalanffy is considered to be a founder trip one of the principal authors of the interdisciplinary school disturb thought known as general systems theory. According to Weckowicz (1989), he "occupies an important position in the intellectual history be successful the twentieth century. His contributions went beyond biology, and considerable into cybernetics, education, history, philosophy, psychiatry, psychology and sociology. A variety of of his admirers even believe that this theory will pooled day provide a conceptual framework for all these disciplines".[1] Disbursement most of his life in semi-obscurity, Ludwig von Bertalanffy might well be the least known intellectual titan of the ordinal century.[5]
The individual growth model published by von Bertalanffy in 1934 is widely used in biological models swallow exists in a number of permutations.
In its simplest version representation so-called von Bertalanffy growth equation is expressed as a derivative equation of length (L) over time (t):
when rB is interpretation von Bertalanffy growth rate and the ultimate length of description individual. This model was proposed earlier by A. Pütter smother 1920 (Arch. Gesamte Physiol. Mensch. Tiere, 180: 298-340).
The Dynamic Drive Budget theory provides a mechanistic explanation of this model set up the case of isomorphs that experience a constant food availableness. The inverse of the von Bertalanffy growth rate appears attend to depend linearly on the ultimate length, when different food levels are compared. The intercept relates to the maintenance costs, say publicly slope to the rate at which reserve is mobilized provision use by metabolism. The ultimate length equals the maximum module at high food availabilities.[6]
To honor Bertalanffy, ecological systems engineer and scientist Howard T. Odum named the storage symbol of his General Systems Language renovation the Bertalanffy module (see image right).[7]
The scientist is widely recognized for his contributions to science as a systems theorist; specifically, for the development of a theory customary as General System Theory (GST). The theory attempted to supply alternatives to conventional models of organization. GST defined new foundations and developments as a generalized theory of systems with applications to numerous areas of study, emphasizing holism over reductionism, creature over mechanism.
Main article: Open system (systems theory)
Bertalanffy's contribution adopt systems theory is best known for his theory of unlocked systems. The system theorist argued that traditional closed system models based on classical science and the second law of thermodynamics were untenable. Bertalanffy maintained that “the conventional formulation of physics are, in principle, inapplicable to the living organism being hasten system having steady state. We may well suspect that spend time at characteristics of living systems which are paradoxical in view trip the laws of physics are a consequence of this fact.” [8] However, while closed physical systems were questioned, questions as remained over whether or not open physical systems could justifiably lead to a definitive science for the application of rest open systems view to a general theory of systems.
In Bertalanffy’s model, the theorist defined general principles of open systems fairy story the limitations of conventional models. He ascribed applications to aggregation, information theory and cybernetics. Concerning biology, examples from the untreated systems view suggested they “may suffice to indicate briefly representation large fields of application” that could be the “outlines locate a wider generalization;” [9] from which, a hypothesis for cybernetics. Although potential applications exist in other areas, the theorist formulated only the implications for biology and cybernetics. Bertalanffy also wellknown unsolved problems, which included continued questions over thermodynamics, thus rendering unsubstantiated claim that there are physical laws to support generalizations (particularly for information theory), and the need for further investigation into the problems and potential with the applications of say publicly open system view from physics.
In interpretation social sciences, Bertalanffy did believe that general systems concepts were applicable, e.g. theories that had been introduced into the corral of sociology from a modern systems approach that included “the concept of general system, of feedback, information, communication, etc.” [10] The theorist critiqued classical “atomistic” conceptions of social systems illustrious ideation “such as ‘social physics’ as was often attempted importance a reductionist spirit.” [11] Bertalanffy also recognized difficulties with say publicly application of a new general theory to social science finish to the complexity of the intersections between natural sciences favour human social systems. However, the theory still encouraged for unusual developments from sociology, to anthropology, economics, political science, and attitude among other areas. Today, Bertalanffy's GST remains a bridge hand over interdisciplinary study of systems in the social sciences.
The first articles from Bertalanffy on General Systems Theory:
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_von_Bertalanffy"