robert rosen and george lakoff: the role of causality in complex systems donald c mikulecky...
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ROBERT ROSEN AND GEORGE LAKOFF:
THE ROLE OF CAUSALITY IN
COMPLEX SYSTEMS
Donald C MikuleckyProfessor emeritus and Senior Fellow
in the VCU Center for the Study of Biological Complexity
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~mikuleck/
ROBERT ROSEN
STUDENT OF NICHOLAS RASHEVSKY WHO WAS THE FOUNDER OF THE MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY PROGRAM AT CHICAGO. WROTE BOOKS ON NEURAL NETWORKS AND OTHER ASPECTS OF COMPLEXITY IN THE 1930S. WROTE ABOUT COMPLEXITY IN THE 1950S.
AUTHOR OF MANY IMPORTANT BOOKS ON COMPLEXITY INCLUDING ANTICIPATORY SYSTEMS, LIFE ITSELF, AND ESSAYS ON LIFE ITSELF
GEORGE LAKOFF
COGNITIVE LINGUISTISTICS DEVELOPED THE CONCEPT OF FRAMING MANY BOOKS USES COMPLEXITY THEORY IN A VERY
EFFECTIVE WAY LOOKS AT CAUSALITY AS A CENTRAL ISSUE IN
HIS ANALYSIS OF DIFFEREING WOLD VIEWS HIS WORK HAS A DIRECT BEARING ON
COMPLEXITY SCIENCE
TWO OF LAKOFF’S RECENT BOOKS NEED OUR ATTENTION
DON’T THINK OF AN ELEPHANT: KNOW YOUR VALUES AND FRAME THE DEBATE, CHELSEA GREEN, 2004.
WHOSE FREEDOM: THE BATTLE OVER AMERICA’S MOST IMPORTANT IDEA, FARRAR,STRAUS AND GIROUX, 2006
WHAT IS “FRAMING THE QUESTION”? BASED ON THE WORK OF GEORGE LAKOFF COGNITIVE LINGUISTICS FRAMES ARE THE MENTAL STRUCTURES
THAT SHAPE THE WAY WE SEE THE WORLD
FACTS, DATA, MODELS, ETC. ONLY HAVE MEANING IN A CONTEXT
LEADS US TO A SCIENTIFIC APPLICATION OF FRAMING : ROSEN’S THEORY OF COMPLEXITY
THE MODELING RELATION: THE ESSENCE OF SCIENCE
ALLOWS US TO ASSIGN MEANING TO THE WORLD AROUND US
STANDS FOR OUR THINKING PROCESS CAUSALITY IN THE NATURAL SYSTEM IS DEALT
WITH THROUGH IMPLICATION IN A FORMAL SYSTEM
THERE IS AN ENCODING OF THE NATURAL SYSTEM INTO THE FORMAL SYSTEM AND A DECODING BACK
WHEN IT ALL HANGS TOGETHER WE HAVE A MODEL
THE MODELING RELATION: A MODEL OF HOW WE MAKE MODELS, A SCIENCE OF FRAMING
NATURAL SYSTEM
FORMAL SYSTEM
NATURAL SYSTEM
FORMAL SYSTEM
ENCODING
DECODING
CAUSALEVENT
MANIPULATION
WE HAVE A USEFUL MODEL WHEN
ARE SATISFACTORY WAYS OF “UNDERSTANDING”THE CHANGE IN THE WORLD “OUT THERE”
THE MODELING RELATION: A MODEL OF HOW WE MAKE MODELS
NATURAL SYSTEM
FORMAL SYSTEM
NATURAL SYSTEM
FORMAL SYSTEM
ENCODING
DECODING
CAUSALEVENT
IMPLICATION
MORE ON THE MODELING RELATION
THE FORMAL SYSTEM DOES NOT INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT ENCODING AND/OR DECODING
THEREFORE MODELING WILL ALWAYS BE AN ART ONLY IN THE NEWTONIAN PARADIGM DOES THE FORMAL
SYSTEM BECOME THE NATURAL SYSTEM (ENCODING AND DECODING ARE AUTOMATIC) AND ALL THAT IS LEFT TO DO IS TO MEASURE THINGS
WHY IS “OBJECTIVITY” A MYTH? (OR: WHY IS SCIENCE A BELIEF STRUCTURE)
THE FORMAL SYSTEM DOES NOT AND CAN NOT TELL US HOW TO ENCODE AND DECODE. (MODELING IS AN ART!)
THE FORMAL SYSTEM DOES NOT AND CAN NOT TELL US WHEN THE MODEL WORKS, THAT IS A JUDGEMENT CALL EVEN IF OTHER FORMALISMS ARE ENLISTED TO HELP (FOR EXAMPLE: STATISTICS)
MODELS EXIST IN A CONTEXT: A FRAME
WHY WHAT “TRADITIONAL SCIENCE” DID TO THE MODELING RELATION MADE THE PRESENT
SITUATION INEVITABLE:
WE ARE TOO AFRAID OF “BELIEFS” (SCEPTICISM IS “IN”)
WE DEVELOPED THE MYTH OF “OBJECTIVITY”
Reductionism has framed complexity theory
Rather than change methods we have the changed names for what we do
The consequences are significant It is impossible for you to believe what is being taught in
this lecture and to then simply add it to your repertoire The reason is that in order to see the world in a new way
you have to step out of the traditional frame and into a new one. Once done, you can never go back. The ability to reframe a question is the basis for change and broadening of ideas.
WHAT “TRADITIONAL SCIENCE” DID TO FRAME THE MODELING RELATION
NATURAL SYSTEM
FORMAL SYSTEM
NATURAL SYSTEM
FORMAL SYSTEM
CAUSALEVENT
MANIPULATION
WHAT “TRADITIONAL SCIENCE” DID TO FRAME THE MODELING RELATION
NATURAL SYSTEM
FORMAL SYSTEM
NATURAL SYSTEM
FORMAL SYSTEM
MANIPULATION
WHY WHAT “TRADITIONAL SCIENCE” DID TO THE MODELING RELATION MADE THE PRESENT
SITUATION INEVITABLE:
WE MORE OR LESS FORGOT THAT THERE WAS AN ENCODING AND DECODING
WHY WHAT “TRADITIONAL SCIENCE” DID TO THE MODELING RELATION MADE THE PRESENT
SITUATION INEVITABLE: IT FRAMED THE QUESTIN
THE “REAL WORLD” REQUIRES MORE THAN ONE “FORMAL SYSTEM” TO MODEL IT (THERE IS NO “UNIVERSAL MODEL”)
Syntax vs Semantics
The map is not the territory An equation is just an equation without
interpretation This means we use formalisms in a context This context dependence also exists in nature This is one reason why there can never be a
largest model
SOME CONSEQUENCES
REDUCTIONISM DID SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THERMODYNAMICS
THERMODYNAMICS IS MORE IN HARMONY WITH TOPOLOGICAL MATHEMATICS THAN IT IS WITH ANALYTICAL MATHEMATICS
THUS TOPOLOGY AND NOT MOLECULAR STATISTICS IS THE FUNDAMENTAL TOOL
Context dependence necessarily introduces circularity
A process happens in a context The process usually changes that context If the context changes the process usually
changes as a result. Living systems are replete with examples
of this
SELF-REFERENCE, CIRCULARITY AND THE GENOME
REPLICATION
TRANSCRIPTION
HOMEOSTASIS
CAN WE GET RID OF SELF-REFERENCE, THAT IS, CIRCULARITY?
IT HAS BEEN TRIED IT FAILED THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO “GO AROUND”
IT – THAT IS TO IGNORE CASES WHERE IT POPS UP
WHAT IF IT IS VERY COMMON?
WHAT IS COMPLEXITY?
TOO MANY DEFINITIONS, SOME CONFLICTING OFTEN INTERCHANGED WITH “COMPLICATED” HAS A REAL MEANING BUT AFTER THE
QUESTION IS REFRAMED THAT MEANING ITSELF IS COMPLEX(THIS IS
SELF-REFERENTIAL: HOW CAN WE DEFINE “COMPLEX” USING “COMPLEX”?)
ROSEN’S CONCEPT FOR COMPLEXITY: A NEW FRAME
Complexity is the property of a real world system that is manifest in the inability of any one formalism being adequate to capture all its properties. It requires that we find distinctly different ways of interacting with systems. Distinctly different in
the sense that when we make successful models, the formal systems needed to describe each distinct aspect are NOT
derivable from each other
The Mexican sierra [fish] has "XVII-15-IX" spines in the dorsal fin. These can easily be counted ... We could, if we wished, describe the sierra thus: "D. XVII-15-IX; A. II-15-IX," but we could see the fish alive and swimming, feel it plunge against the lines, drag it threshing over the rail, and even finally eat it. And there is no reason why either approach should be inaccurate.
Spine-count description need not suffer because another approach is also used. Perhaps, out of the two approaches we thought there might emerge a picture more complete and even more accurate that either alone could produce. -- John Steinbeck, novelist, with Edward Ricketts, marine biologist (1941)
COMPLEX SYSTEMS VS SIMPLE MECHANISMS
COMPLEX NO LARGEST MODEL WHOLE MORE THAN SUM
OF PARTS CAUSAL RELATIONS
RICH AND INTERTWINED GENERIC ANALYTIC SYNTHETIC NON-FRAGMENTABLE NON-COMPUTABLE REAL WORLD
SIMPLE LARGEST MODEL WHOLE IS SUM OF PARTS
CAUSAL RELATIONS DISTINCT
N0N-GENERIC ANALYTIC = SYNTHETIC FRAGMENTABLE COMPUTABLE FORMAL SYSTEM
FRAMING THE QUESTION
DON’T THINK OF AN ELEPHANT IMPOSSIBILITY OF AVOIDING THE FRAME IN SCIENCE THE DOMINANT FRAME IS
REDUCTIONISM AND THE ASSOCIATED MECHANICAL THINKING
THE DOMINANT MODERN MANIFESTATIONS INCLUDE MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND NONLINEAR DYNAMICS
AN EXAMPLE OF REFRAMING THE QUESTION IN SCIENCE TO GET AN ANSWER : THE WORK OF ROBERT ROSEN
WHAT IS LIFE (SCHROEDINGER)?
WHY IS AN ORGANISM DIFFERENT FROM A MACHINE?
LAKOFF ON CAUSALITY: TWO DISTINCT KINDS
DIRECT CAUSATION (REDUCTIONISM) SYSTEMIC CAUSATION (COMPLEXITY)
ROSEN AND LAKOFF BOTH RECOGNIZED THAT DIRECT CAUSALITY WAS THE WAY REDUCTIONISTS SAW CAUSALITY
DIRECT CAUSALITY IS THE SIMPLEST KIND
SINGLE AGENT EXERTS FORCE ON SOMETHING AND IT CHANGES OR MOVES AS A RESULT
NO INTERMEDIATE CAUSE NO MULTIPLE AGENTS
THE RELATIONAL APPROACH TO A COMPLEX REALITY
FOCUS ON THE ORGANIZATION DEVELOP A SET OF FUNCTIONAL
COMPONENTS WHICH CAPTURE THAT ORGANIZATION
UTILIZE THE CAUSAL RELATIONS RESULTING FROM ANSWERING “WHY?”
FUNCTIONAL COMPONENTS
MUST POSSESS ENOUGH IDENTITY TO BE CONSIDERED A “THING”
MUST BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE PROPERTIES FROM LARGER SYSTEMS TO WHICH IT MAY BELONG
ITS FORMAL IMAGE IS A MAPPING f: A -----> B
THIS INTRODUCES A NEW KIND OF “DYNAMICS” : RELATIONAL
ROSEN USED ARISTOTLE TO INTRODUCE A FORM OF SYSTEMIC CAUSALITY THE FOUR BECAUSES: WHY A HOUSE?
MATERIAL: THE STUFF IT’S MADE OF EFFICIENT: IT NEEDED A BUILDER FORMAL: THERE WAS A BLUEPRINT FINAL: IT HAS A PURPOSE
ROSEN’SRELATIONAL REPRESENTATION OF AN ORGANISM IS SYSTEMIC
INVOLVES MAPPINGS METABOLISM IS f: A B A REPRESENTS METABOLITES WHICH CAN
ALSO EXCHANGE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT B REPRESENTS THE RESULTS OF
METABOLISM f IS A MAPPING FROM A TO B MULTIPLE AND INTERMEDIATE CAUSES ARE
MANDITORY
METABOLISM/REPAIR SYSTEMS
BASED ON INPUT/OUTPUT REPRESENTATIONS OF SYSTEMS
MORE ABSTRACT ALLOW CAUSALITY TO BE REPRESENTED LEAD TO NEW INFORMATION ARE BASED ON RECOGNITION THAT BUILDING
UP AND TEARING DOWN ARE PART OF THE LIFE PROCESS
THE IMPORTANCE OF CATABOLISM AND ANABOLISM NO STRUCTURE IS PERMANENT ADAPTABILITY AND CHANGE INHERENT NEEDS SPECIAL TYPE OF
ORGANIZATION IMPORTANT FOR UNDERSTANDING
EVOLUTION, DEVELOPMENT, AND HEALING
THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS
A IS THE MATERIAL CAUSE OF B (DOTTED ARROW)
f IS THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF B OTHER COMPONENTS FOR REPAIR AND
REPLICATION COME IN BECAUSE THESE COMPONENTS HAVE A FINITE LIFETIME: CATABOLISM AND ANABOLISM OR “TURNOVER”
f
A B
ROSEN’S RELATIONAL MODEL OF THE ORGANISM
f
A B
ROSEN’S RELATIONAL MODEL OF THE ORGANISM
f
A B
ROSEN’S RELATIONAL MODEL OF THE ORGANISM
f
A B
ROSEN’S RELATIONAL MODEL OF THE ORGANISM
ORGANISMS
ARE COMPLEX SYSTEMS
ARE CLOSED TO EFFICIENT CAUSE
ARE AUTOPOIETIC UNITIES
HUMAN BEHAVIOR IS COMPLEX
WE CAN APPLY THESE IDEAS TO HUMAN BEHAVIOR
WE HAVE ALREADY USED THESE IDEAS TO EXAMINE THE FRAMING OF THE SCIENTIFIC DISCOURSE BY REDUCTIONISTS
WE CAN GO FURTHER AND IF WE DO THE RESULTS ARE VERY STRIKING
LAKOFF USES THESE IDEAS TO STUDY AMERICAN POLITICS
HE FINDS THAT RADICAL CONSERVATIVES TEND TO RELY ONLY ON DIRECT CAUSALITY
ON THE OTHER HAND PROGRESSIVES TEND TO RELY ON SYSTEMIC CAUSALITY
HE TIES THIS IN WITH A MODEL OF THE COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR OF BOTH GROUPS
THE FAMILY AS A MODEL FOR SOCIETY
THE STRICT FATHER FAMILY IS THE MODEL FOR RADICAL CONSERVATIVE BEHAVIOR
THYE NURTURING MOTHER FAMILY IS THE MODEL FOR PROGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
THE TWO MODELS RESULT IN VERY DIFFERENT WORLD VIEWS AND EVEN THE DEFINITION OF WORDS LIKE “FREEDOM” ARE VERY DIFFERENT IN THE TWO WORLDVIEWS
THE CONSEQUENCES OF LAKOFF’S ANALYSIS ARE CONSISTENT WITH ROSEN’S VIEW OF SCIENCE
REDUCTIONIST SCIENCE RELIES ON DIRECT CAUSALITY AS DOES RADICAL CONSERVATIVISM – THE TWO ARE ASPECTS OF A SINGLE WORLD VIEW
COMPLEXITY SCIENCE POSES A THREAT TO THIS WORLDVIEW AS DOES PROGRESSIVE THINKING IN POLITICS
THIS REVEALS A GREAT DEAL ABOUT CONTROVERSIES INVOLVING SCIENCE AND RELIGION
ROSEN SHOWED THAT REDUCTIONIST/MECHANIST THINKING RESULTED IN THE NEED FOR A GOD (MACHINES NEED AN INTELLEGENT DESIGNER
COMPLEXITY THEORY SHOWS THAT ORGANISMS ARE DIFFERENT FROM MACHINES AND CLOSED TO EFFICIENT CAUSE (NO NEED FOR ANY OUTSIDE CAUSE)
PROBLEMS WITH THE USE OF DIRECT CAUSATION (REDUCTIONISM)
INTELLEGENT DESIGN IS THE ONLY USE OF ANY IDEA FROM COMPLEXITY AND IT IS MISUSED (IRREDUCEABLE COMPLEXITY IMPLIES AN INTELLEGENT DESIGNER)
DIRECT CAUSATION HAS ALMOST NO USE IN EVOLUTIONARY THEORY
DIRECT CAUSATION HAS ALMOST NO USE IN CLIMATOLOGY SYSTEMIC CAUSALITY IS DISMISSED BY PROPONENTS OD
DIRECT CAUSALITY REAL COMPLEX SYSTEMS REQUIRE SYSTEMIC CAUSATION AND
CAN NOT BE EXPLAINED USING DIRECT CAUSATION UNLESS A DIETY OR SOME OTHER SUERNATURAL AGENT IS INVOKED
TOWARDS A HOLISTIC THEORY OF COMPLEX HUMAN BEHAVIOR
SUCH A THEORY HAS TO REFRAME THE QUESTION FRAMED BY REDUCTIONISTS IN TERMS OF DIRECT CAUSATION
IT MUST NOT PUT FORTH A SINGLE, LARGEST MODEL IF IT IS TO GO BEYOND THE MISTAKES SO DEEPLY ENTRENCHED BY REDUCTIONISM
IT MUST BE BUILT ON CONCEPTS LIKE SYSTEMIC CAUSALITY, SELF REFERENCE, CONTEXT DEPENDENCE, AND THE OTHER ASPECTS OF COMPLEXITY THEORY PRESENTED BY LAKOFF AND ROSEN
New Book: Into the Cool: Energy Flow, Thermodynamics and Life by: Eric D. Schneider and Dorion Sagan, University of Chicago Press, 2005
THIS BOOK IS A GOOD INTRODUCTION TO HOW THERMODYNAMIC REASONING CAN BREAK OUT OF ITS REDUCTIONIST PRISON AND BEGIN TO BE USED IN THE STUDY OF COMPLEXITY SCIENCE
IT ALSO GIVES INSIGHTS INTO MY ROLE IN THIS