Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Can Systems Theory Generate Testable Hypotheses? From Talcott Parsons to Living Systems Theory

  • Chapter
Facets of Systems Science

  • 1756 Accesses

Abstract

Talcott Parsons and I first met in 1939 when we attended clinical conferences presided over by Dr. Stanley Cobb at the Department of Psychiatry of the Massachusetts General Hospital. We remained friends throughout our lives, meeting fairly often both professionally and socially. We liked each other and always maintained a cordial relationship. As he reminded me from time to time, in our younger years we were both greatly influenced by the ideas of Walter B. Cannon, who was my Professor of Physiology in medical school, and Lawrence J. Henderson, who had a direct personal influence on both of us. Henderson’s espousal of Pareto, both in the courses he taught and in his conversation, had a particularly vigorous impact.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. P. M. Allen, M. Sanglier, F. Boon, J. L. Deneubourg and A. DePahna, Models of Urban Settlement and Structure as Dynamic Self-Organizing Systems. U.S. Department of Transportation/RSPA/ DPB-10/6, Washington, D.C. (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  2. A. P. Balutis, The role of the staff in the legislature: the case of New York. Public Admin. Rev. 35 (1975), 357.

    Google Scholar 

  3. B. Berelson and G. A. Steiner, Human Behavior: An Inventory of Scientic Findings. Harcourt, Brace, & World, New York (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  4. L. L. Cummings and T. A. DeCotiis, Organizational correlates of perceived stress in a professional organization. Publ. Personnel Management 2 (1973), 277.

    Google Scholar 

  5. S. C. Dodd, A test of message diffusion of chain tags. Am. J. Sociol. 61 (1956), 425–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Executive Office of the President, Bureau of the Budget, Division of Statistical Standards, Technical Committee on Industrial Classification, Standard Industrial Classification Manual. Government Printing Office, Washington (1945).

    Google Scholar 

  7. J. W. Forrester, Industrial Dynamics. M.I.T. Press-John Wiley, New York (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  8. J. W. Forrester, Urban Dynamics. M.I.T. Press, Cambridge (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  9. J. W. Forrester, World Dynamics. Wright-Allen Press, Cambridge, MA (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  10. H. Guetzkow, Isolation and collaboration: a partial theory of inter-nation relations. J. Conflict Resolution 1 (1957), 62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. R. Herman and I. Progogine, A two-fluid approach to town traffic. Science, Wash. 204 (1979), 148–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. O. E. Klapp, Opening and closing in open systems. Behay. Sci. 20 (1975), 251–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. W. Leontief et al., Studies in the Structure of the American Economy: Theoretical and Empirical Explorations in Input-Output Analysis. Oxford University Press, New York (1953).

    Google Scholar 

  14. W. Leontief et al., The Future of the World Economy. Oxford University Press, New York (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  15. L. F. Lewis, II, Conflicting commands versus decision time: cross-level experiment. Behay. Sci. 26 (1981), 79–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. A. J. Lotka, Elements of Physical Biology. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore (1926).

    Google Scholar 

  17. C. Marchetti, Society as a Learning System: Discovery, Invention, and Innovation Cycles Revisited. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, RR-81–29, Laxenburg, Austria (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  18. J. G. Miller, Introduction. In Members of the Committee on Behavioral Sciences, University of Chicago (eds), Symposium: Profits and Problems of Homeostatic Models in the Behavioral Sciences, pp. 1–11. Chicago Behavioral Science Publications ( 1 ), University of Chicago, Chicago (1953).

    Google Scholar 

  19. J. G. Miller, Toward a general theory for the behavioral sciences. Am. Psychol. 10 (1955), 513–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. J. G. Miller, Information input overload and psychopathology. Am. J. Psychiat. 116 (1960), 695–704.

    Google Scholar 

  21. J. G. Miller, Living systems: cross-level hypotheses. Behay. Sci. 10 (1965), 380–411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. J. G. Miller, Living Systems. McGraw-Hill, New York (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  23. V. B. Mountcastle, The neural replication of sensory events in the somatic afferent system. In J. C. Eccles (ed.), Brain and Conscious Experience, pp. 85–115. Springer-Verlag, New York (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  24. H. T. Odum and R. C. Pinkerton, Time’s speed regulator: the optimum efficiency for maximum power output in physical and biological systems. Am. Sci. 43 (1955), 331–343.

    Google Scholar 

  25. H. T. Odum, Systems Ecology: An Introduction. John Wiley, New York (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  26. T. Parsons and N. J. Smelser, Economy and Society, pp. 6–53. Free Press, Glencoe, IL (1946).

    Google Scholar 

  27. T. Parsons, Concrete systems and “abstracted” systems. Contemp. Sociol. 8 (1979), 696–705.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. See also T. Parsons, Concrete systems and “abstracted” systems. Behay. Sci. 25 (1980), 46–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. G. J. B. Probst, Kybertetische Gezetzes Hypothesen als Basis fur Gestaltungs-und Lenkungsregeln im Management. Paul Haupt, Bern and Stuttgart (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  30. G. Nicolis and I. Prigogine, Self-Organization in Nonequilibrium Systems: From Dissipative Structures to Order through Fluctuations. John Wiley, New York (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  31. I. Prigogine, From Being to Becoming: Time and Complexity in the Physical Sciences. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  32. A. Rapoport, Cycle distribution in random nets. Bull. Math. Biophys. 10 (1984), 145–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. See also A. Rapoport, Nets with distance bias. Bull. Math. Biophys. 13 (1951), 85–91;

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. A. Rapoport, Contribution to the theory of random and biased nets. Bull. Math. Biophys. 19 (1957), 257–278;

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. A. Rapoport, Nets with reciprocity bias. Bull. Math. Biophys. (1958) 191–201.

    Google Scholar 

  36. A. Rapoport and W J. Horvath, A study of a large sociogram. Behay. Sci. 6 (1961), 279–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. See also C. C. Foster, A. Rapoport and C. J. Orwant, A study of a large sociogram II. Elimination of free parameters. Behay. Sci. 8 (1963), 56–65;

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. C. C. Foster and W. J. Horvath, A study of a large sociogram. III. Reciprocal choice probabilities as a measure of social distance. Behay. Sci. 16 (1971), 429–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. M. E. Shaw, A comparison of individuals and small groups in the rational solution of complex problems. Am. J. Psychol. 44 (1932), 491–504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. B. M. Staw, L. E. Sandelands and J. E. Dutton. Threat-rigidity effects in organizational behavior: a multilevel analysis. Admin. Sci. Quart. 26 (1981), 501–524.

    Google Scholar 

  41. S. S. Stevens, The psychophysics of sensory function. In W. A. Rosenblith (ed.), Sensory Communication, pp. 1–33. John Wiley, New York (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  42. D. W. Taylor and W. L. Faust, Twenty questions: efficiency in problem solving as a function of size of group. J. Exp. Psychol. 44 (1952), 360–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. A. Toffler, Future Shock. Random House, New York (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  44. R. Trappl, A. v. Lutzow, L. Wundsch and H. Bornschein, A second-order model of the optic generator potential and its relation to Stevens’ power function. Pfluggers Archiv. 372 (1977), 165–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. T. G. Whiston, Life is logarithmic. In J. Rose (ed.), Advances in Cybernetics and Systems. Gordon and Breach, London (1974).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. James Grier Miller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Miller, J.G. (1991). Can Systems Theory Generate Testable Hypotheses? From Talcott Parsons to Living Systems Theory. In: Facets of Systems Science. International Federation for Systems Research International Series on Systems Science and Engineering, vol 7. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0718-9_46

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0718-9_46

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0720-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0718-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation