systems design
when we talk about systems design, the awesome folks at the consilience project already talk at length about how all design is actually values-driven. some sciences like systems science, complexity science, cybernetics, biomimicry, among others, research how to design in accordance with the properties and ethics of living/complex systems.
however, besides these attempts at understanding systems from different lenses and engaging with the design philosophies that exist, a question has always stayed with me:
what are the foundational systems we're embedded in, as individuals and as civilizations?
i'd love to find/develop a taxonomy of major systems within say, the superstructure, social structure, infrastructure frame, proposed by marvin harris/daniel schmachtenberger (and further built upon by andrea farias).
a few initiatives that work on systems transformation seem more geared towards a few:
- SEEDS: economic systems, governance systems, organizational systems, financial systems
- ashley hodgson: economic systems, governance systems, knowledge systems
- dark matter labs: ontology & epistemology, money & valuation logic, financial processes & investment, ownership, law & governance, institutional logic & policy, material, energy & land use
- (more to be added soon...)
i tend to use: belief & value systems, economic systems, governance systems, organizational systems, financial systems, information systems, ecological systems, physical & digital systems and self-management systems. seeing these as different coordination, collaboration, life support and player/gameplay systems (macro categories).
however, these are still very loose categories, with no strong empirical basis. one of my main challenges/goals is to develop a stronger ontological grounding for that. i feel it'd really help me understand our civilizational & local systemic challenges and opportunities as well as challenging/strengthening my theory of change for the L1F3 support systems.
i still feel like i'm crawling on this though. would love to learn more, especially from folks like daniel schmachtenberger, nora bateson and indy johar.