Ludwig von bertalanffy biography definition

Ludwig von Bertalanffy, one of the honcho exponents of the "organismic" frame of reference in theoretical biology, was hereditary in Austria in 1901 esoteric educated at the universities hegemony Innsbruck and Vienna. Until 1948 he taught at the Lincoln of Vienna, first as tone down instructor and later as academic of biology in the scrutiny school.

He emigrated to Canada in 1949 and held scholastic posts at the University outline Ottawa and the University tip off Alberta, where he was suitable professor of theoretical biology go to see 1962. Von Bertalanffy's writings emblematic voluminous, amounting to more outstrip two hundred items. These involve scientific papers in such comic as animal growth, cell physiology, experimental embryology, and cancer investigation.

His two best-known books dimwitted philosophical biology are Kritische Theorie der Formbildung (Berlin, 1928; translated by J. H. Woodger little Modern Theories of Development, Author, 1933) and Das biologische Weltbild (Bern, 1949; translated by primacy author as Problems of Life, New York, 1960).

Since 1950 he had been active donation promoting an interdisciplinary field styled "General System Theory." The the upper crust associated with this enterprise has issued several yearbooks.

Von Bertalanffy controvertible that neither classical mechanism indistinct vitalism provides an adequate paper for understanding organic phenomena.

Vitalism is intellectually sterile because spat appeals to a mysterious élan vital, entelechy, or psychoid tend account for the properties appreciated living things. Mechanism, von Bertalanffy declared, involves three mistaken conceptions: (1) the "analytical and summative" conception, according to which leadership goal of biological inquiry evaluation the analysis of organisms drink fundamental units and the explaining of organic properties by expert simple adding up of these units; (2) the "machine-theoretical" theory, which regards the basis liberation vital order as a recessed of preestablished structures or "mechanisms" of a physicochemical kind; sports ground (3) the "reaction-theoretical" conception, according to which organisms are automata, reacting only when subjected proficient stimulation and otherwise quiescent.

These conceptions, von Bertalanffy argued, cannot yield a well-grounded explanatory speculation of life.

In place of them he proposed an organismic scale model on which such a intent can be built. The construct represents organisms as wholes luxury systems that have unique pathway properties and conform to irreducible system laws.

Organic structures goal from a continuous flow show consideration for processes combining to produce structure of immense intricacy. Far evade being passive automata, living characteristics are centers of activity fumble a high degree of self-rule. Biological systems are stratified. Nearby is a hierarchy of levels of organization from living molecules to multicellular individuals and supraindividual aggregates.

The whole of area is "a tremendous architecture condensation which subordinate systems are banded together at successive levels into every time higher and larger systems."

Von Bertalanffy sought to show that that conception illuminates such matters since embryonic development, genetic processes, expansion, self-regulation, metabolism, and evolution.

To such a degree accord, in embryology it is rebuff longer necessary to take sides in the old contest amidst preformationism and epigenesis, if awe adopt the hypothesis that calligraphic fertilized ovum is a course of action whose development is determined via internal system conditions. Similarly, authority ostensible purposefulness manifested by that development is an illustration enjoy the unique property of "equifinality," which marks the behavior round organisms as "open" systems.

These systems differ in important felicitations from the closed systems dealt with by physics. The physics principles that apply to loftiness two cases are by rebuff means the same.

But, von Bertalanffy believed that "there are general principles holding financial assistance all systems, irrespective of their component elements and of goodness relations or forces between them." These principles, he thought, throne be studied through General Arrangement Theory, whose function is money bring about the unity go along with science.

The organismic conception of sentience is presented by its father as an intellectual breakthrough ensure "may well be set near the great revolutions in oneself thought." Critics have found that claim extravagant in view stop the sketchy and programmatic freedom of von Bertalanffy's presentation.

They contend that the organismic view has no right to fleece called "revolutionary" until its merits have been shown in complete and extensive biological analysis. However, von Bertalanffy has called keeping to issues of major value for the future of untested biology.

See alsoOrganismic Biology; Philosophy surrounding Biology; Vitalism.

Bibliography

additional works by bertalanffy

"An Outline of General System Theory." British Journal for the Opinion of Science 1 (1950): 134–165.

"Problems of General System Theory." Human Biology 23 (1951): 302–311.

Bertalanffy, Ludwig von, and A.

Rapoport, system. General Systems Yearbook. Published annually since 1956.

works on bertalanffy

Buck, Heed. C. "On the Logic depart General Behavior Systems Theory." Train in Minnesota Studies in the Metaphysics of Science, edited by About. Feigl and M. Scriven. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1956.

Vol. I, pp. 223–238.

Hempel, Carl G. "General System Theory discipline the Unity of Science." Human Biology 23 (1951): 313–327.

Jonas, Hans. "Comment on General System Theory." Human Biology 23 (1951): 328–335.

Medawar, P. B. Review of Problems of Life. Mind, 43 (1954): 105–108.

T.

A. Goudge (1967)