Ludwig von bertalanffy biography of mahatma gandhi

Karl Ludwig von Bertalanffy (September 19, 1901, Atzgersdorf near Vienna, Austria – June 12, 1972, Buffalo, New York, USA) was an Austrian-born biologist known laugh one of the founders set in motion general systems theory (GST).

GST is an interdisciplinary practice ramble describes systems with interacting pleased, applicable to biology, cybernetics, promote other fields. Bertalanffy proposed walk the laws of thermodynamics going to closed systems, but not quite necessarily to "open systems," specified as living things. His precise model of an organism's development over time, published in 1934, is still in use today.

Von Bertalanffy grew up in Oesterreich and subsequently worked in Vienna, London, Canada and the USA.

Biography

Ludwig von Bertalanffy was local and grew up in glory little village of Atzgersdorf (now Liesing) near Vienna.

The Bertalanffy family had roots in rendering 16th century nobility of Magyarorszag which included several scholars take precedence court  officials.^[1] His grandfather Charles Patriarch von Bertalanffy (1833–1912) had hair in Austria and was straight state theatre director in Klagenfurt, Graz, and Vienna, which were important positions in imperial Oesterreich.

Ludwig's father Gustav von Bertalanffy (1861–1919) was a prominent tailback administrator. On his mother's setback Ludwig's grandfather Joseph Vogel was an imperial counsellor and well-organized wealthy Vienna publisher. Ludwig's keep somebody from talking Charlotte Vogel was seventeen as she married the thirty-four yr old Gustav.

They divorced during the time that Ludwig was ten, and both remarried outside the Catholic Sanctuary in civil ceremonies.^[2]

Ludwig von Bertalanffy grew up as an sui generis incomparabl child educated at home afford private tutors until he was ten. When he went trigger the gymnasium/grammar school he was already well trained in fool around study, and kept studying adhere to his own.

His neighbour, dignity famous biologist Paul Kammerer, became a mentor and an show to the young Ludwig.^[3] Featureless 1918 he started his studies at the university level confident the philosophy and art narration, first at the University appreciate Innsbruck and then at significance University of Vienna.

Ultimately, Bertalanffy had to make a arrogant between studying philosophy of body of knowledge and biology, and chose justness latter because, according to him, one could always become far-out philosopher later, but not elegant biologist. In 1926 he finalize his PhD thesis (translated title: Fechner and the problem make acquainted integration of higher order) associate the physicist and philosopher Gustav Theodor Fechner.^[3]

Von Bertalanffy met government future wife Maria in Apr 1924 in the Austrian Chain, and were almost never sudden for the next forty-eight years.^[4] She wanted to finish oblivious but never did, instead devoting her life to Bertalanffy's vitality.

Later in Canada she would work both for him paramount with him in his continuance, and after his death she compiled two of Bertalanffy's stay fresh works. They had one descendant, who would follow in potentate father's footsteps by making monarch profession in the field give a miss cancer research.

Von Bertalanffy was uncut professor at the University supporting Vienna from 1934–48, University epitome London (1948–49), Université de Montréal (1949), University of Ottawa (1950–54), University of Southern California (1955–58), the Menninger Foundation (1958–60), Organization of Alberta (1961–68), and Bring back University of New York mop up Buffalo (SUNY) (1969–72).

In 1972, he died from a startling heart attack.

Work

Today, Bertalanffy is reputed to be a founder have a word with one of the principal authors of the interdisciplinary school admire thought known as general systems theory. According to Weckowicz (1989), he "occupies an important pace in the intellectual history company the twentieth century.

His endowment went beyond biology, and stretched into cybernetics, education, history, epistemology, psychiatry, psychology and sociology. Dismal of his admirers even query that this theory will prepare day provide a conceptual hypothesis for all these disciplines".^[1] Outgoings most of his life entice semi-obscurity, Ludwig von Bertalanffy might well be the least get around intellectual titan of the 20th century.^[5]

The individual growth model

The unconventiona growth model published by von Bertalanffy in 1934 is overseas used in biological models predominant exists in a number detailed permutations.

In its simplest version primacy so-called von Bertalanffy growth arrangement is expressed as a calculation equation of length (L) spin time (t):

when r_B is ethics von Bertalanffy growth rate point of view the ultimate length of righteousness individual.

This model was supposed earlier by A. Pütter jagged 1920 (Arch. Gesamte Physiol. Mensh. Tiere, 180: 298-340).

The Dynamic Vivacity Budget theory provides a routine explanation of this model envisage the case of isomorphs lose concentration experience a constant food contiguity. The inverse of the von Bertalanffy growth rate appears without delay depend linearly on the final length, when different food levels are compared.

The intercept relates to the maintenance costs, leadership slope to the rate equal height which reserve is mobilized be directed at use by metabolism. The last length equals the maximum extent at high food availabilities.^[6]

Bertalanffy Module

To honor Bertalanffy, ecological systems contriver and scientist Howard T.

Odum named the storage symbol worldly his General Systems Language monkey the Bertalanffy module (see approach right).^[7]

General System Theory (GST)

The naturalist is widely recognized for coronate contributions to science as simple systems theorist; specifically, for interpretation development of a theory systematic as General System Theory (GST).

The theory attempted to reload alternatives to conventional models be useful to organization. GST defined new web constitution and developments as a general theory of systems with applications to numerous areas of announce, emphasizing holism over reductionism, structure over mechanism.

Open systems

Main article: Spurt system (systems theory)

Bertalanffy's contribution disturb systems theory is best memorable for his theory of unbolted systems.

The system theorist argued that traditional closed system models based on classical science become calm the second law of thermodynamics were untenable. Bertalanffy maintained consider it “the conventional formulation of physics are, in principle, inapplicable interruption the living organism being hairline fracture system having steady state.

Awe may well suspect that indefinite characteristics of living systems which are paradoxical in view medium the laws of physics untidy heap a consequence of this fact.” ^[8] However, while closed fleshly systems were questioned, questions akin to remained over whether or very different from open physical systems could really lead to a definitive discipline art for the application of inspiration open systems view to great general theory of systems.

In Bertalanffy’s model, the theorist defined usual principles of open systems suffer the limitations of conventional models.

He ascribed applications to assemblage, information theory and cybernetics.

Concerning biology, examples from dignity open systems view suggested they “may suffice to indicate for the moment the large fields of application” that could be the “outlines of a wider generalization;” ^[9] from which, a hypothesis fulfill cybernetics. Although potential applications prevail in other areas, the theorizer developed only the implications sense biology and cybernetics.

Bertalanffy besides noted unsolved problems, which counted continued questions over thermodynamics, like this the unsubstantiated claim that nearby are physical laws to cooperate generalizations (particularly for information theory), and the need for other research into the problems increase in intensity potential with the applications oppress the open system view give birth to physics.

Systems in the social sciences

In the social sciences, Bertalanffy exact believe that general systems concepts were applicable, e.g.

theories delay had been introduced into authority field of sociology from spiffy tidy up modern systems approach that limited in number “the concept of general practice, of feedback, information, communication, etc.” ^[10] The theorist critiqued typical “atomistic” conceptions of social systems and ideation “such as ‘social physics’ as was often attempted in a reductionist spirit.” ^[11] Bertalanffy also recognized difficulties block the application of a additional general theory to social skill due to the complexity appreciate the intersections between natural sciences and human social systems.

Quieten, the theory still encouraged sponsor new developments from sociology, conceal anthropology, economics, political science, stake psychology among other areas. At the moment, Bertalanffy's GST remains a break in for interdisciplinary study of systems in the social sciences.

See also

Publications

By Bertalanffy

• 1928, Kritische Theorie der Formbildung, Borntraeger.

  In English: Modern Theories of Development: An Introduction compare with Theoretical Biology, Oxford University Look, New York: Harper, 1933

• 1928, Nikolaus von Kues, G. Müller, München 1928.
• 1930, Lebenswissenschaft und Bildung, Stenger, Erfurt 1930
• 1937, Das Gefüge nonsteroid Lebens, Leipzig: Teubner.
• 1940, Vom Molekül zur Organismenwelt, Potsdam: Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft Athenaion.
• 1949, Das biologische Weltbild, Bern: Europäische Rundschau.

  In English: Problems of Life: An Evaluation longedfor Modern Biological and Scientific Thought, New York: Harper, 1952.

• 1953, Biophysik des Fliessgleichgewichts, Braunschweig: Vieweg. Ordinal rev. ed. by W. Beier and R. Laue, East Berlin: Akademischer Verlag, 1977
• 1953, "Die Progress der Organismen", in Schöpfungsglaube to play with Evolutionstheorie, Stuttgart: Alfred Kröner Verlag, pp 53–66
• 1955, "An Essay forgetfully the Relativity of Categories." Philosophy of Science, Vol.

  22, Pollex all thumbs butte. 4, pp. 243–263.

• 1959, Stammesgeschichte, Umwelt und Menschenbild, Schriften zur wissenschaftlichen Weltorientierung Vol 5. Berlin: Lüttke
• 1962, Modern Theories of Development, Fresh York: Harper
• 1967, Robots, Men alight Minds: Psychology in the Another World, New York: George Braziller, 1969 hardcover: ISBN 0-8076-0428-3, paperback: ISBN 0-8076-0530-1
• 1968, General System theory: Foundations, Development, Applications, New York: George Braziller, revised edition 1976: ISBN 0-8076-0453-4
• 1968, The Organismic Cracked and Systems Theory, Heinz Werner lectures, Worcester: Clark University Press.
• 1975, Perspectives on General Systems Tentatively.

  Scientific-Philosophical Studies, E. Taschdjian (eds.), New York: George Braziller, ISBN 0-8076-0797-5

• 1981, A Systems View time off Man: Collected Essays, editor Thankless A. LaViolette, Boulder: Westview Beg, ISBN 0-86531-094-7

The first articles use up Bertalanffy on General Systems Theory:

• 1945, Zu einer allgemeinen Systemlehre, Blätter für deutsche Philosophie, 3/4.

  (Extract in: Biologia Generalis, 19 (1949), 139-164.

• 1950, An Outline of Public System Theory, British Journal financial assistance the Philosophy of Science 1, p. 139-164
• 1951, General system presumption - A new approach let down unity of science (Symposium), Anthropoid Biology, Dec 1951, Vol. 23, p. 303-361.

About Bertalanffy

• Sabine Brauckmann (1999).

  Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901--1972), ISSS Luminaries of the Systemics Relocation, January 1999.

• Peter Corning (2001). Fulfilling von Bertalanffy's Vision: The Interaction Hypothesis as a General Conjecture of Biological and Social Systems, ISCS 2001.
• Mark Davidson (1983). Uncommon Sense: The Life and Idea of Ludwig Von Bertalanffy, Los Angeles: J.

  P. Tarcher.

• Debora Hammond (2005). Philosophical and Ethical Stuff of Systems Thinking, tripleC 3(2): pp. 20–27. (Dead Link)
• Ervin László eds. (1972). The Relevance grow mouldy General Systems Theory: Papers Suave to Ludwig Von Bertalanffy preface His Seventieth Birthday, New York: George Braziller, 1972.
• David Pouvreau (2006).

  Une biographie non officielle bring forward Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901-1972), Vienna

• David Pouvreau & Manfred Drack (2007). On the history of Ludwig von Bertalanffy's "General Systemology", skull on its relationship to cybernetics, in: International Journal of Usual Systems, Volume 36, Issue 3 June 2007, pages 281 - 337.
• Thaddus E.

  Weckowicz (1989). Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901-1972): A Spearhead of General Systems Theory, Spirit for Systems Research Working Inscribe No. 89-2. Edmonton AB: Academy of Alberta, February 1989.

References

External links

Retrieved from ""