Prerequisites/Dependencies

One SPT tenet is that ALL SPs are equal. This combats the prevailing tendency of many systems workers to focus on a favorite isomorphy (e.g. feedbacks for Forrester; or synergy for Corning, Haken, Fuller) thereby ignoring many other SPs or making them subject to the one. This working hypothesis of axiomatic status for all ISPs, though useful for balancing this tendency, has given way to our increasing recognition that some ISPs are clearly prerequisite to others. For example, flows need to be present before other ISPs like feedbacks or cycles can stabilize. Another case is the need for pre-existing positive and negative feedbacks for many oscillations to be present. Still another case is the need for both coupled positive and negative feedbacks for self-organization to stabilize.

Clearly these three examples already indicate that there is a sequence of dependencies or prerequisites operating in the organization and operation of the entire network of interacting ISP’s. It is important to recognize, develop information on, and catalogue these dependencies. It would also be interesting to see if these sequences are recognizable as “motif’s” in network theory.