Iteration

Abstract

The systems Capra is referring to are so ubiquitous that any definition would sound hopelessly vague (we’ll try anyway). Electromechanical systems range from computer chips and vending machines to space shuttles and ocean liners, while biological systems range from viruses and amoebas to whales, brains, and redwoods. Some organisms form complex social systems such as ecosystems, beehives, ant hills, universities, corporations, armies, even nations. There are legal systems, economic systems, mathematical systems, problem-solving systems, solar systems, weather systems, hardware systems, and software systems. The whole universe is a system.

The systems view looks at the world in terms of relationships and integration. Systems are integrated wholes whose properties cannot be reduced to those of smaller units. Instead of concentrating on basic building blocks or basic substances, the systems approach emphasizes basic principles of organization.

—Frijtof Capra, The Turning Point