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‘Devolution’ as an opportunity to test the ‘synergism hypothesis’ and a cybernetic theory of political systems
Author(s) -
Corning Peter A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
systems research and behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 1092-7026
DOI - 10.1002/sres.421
Subject(s) - cybernetics , devolution (biology) , politics , agency (philosophy) , viable system model , political system , bureaucracy , systems theory , positive economics , sociology , economics , political science , computer science , democracy , law , social science , artificial intelligence , anthropology , human evolution
‘Devolution’ is a political buzzword these days as empires, nations, bureaucracies and even business firms collapse, divide, downsize, outsource and in various ways become less than they once were. But what does devolution mean? How can we measure it? And, most important, how do we explain it? Some years ago it was proposed that synergistic functional effects of various kinds have been the underlying causal agency in the progressive evolution of complex, goal‐oriented (teleonomic) systems at all levels of biological organization, including human societies. (The term ‘synergy’ refers to otherwise unattainable combined effects that are produced by the interactions among various elements, parts or individuals.) Support for this theory has continued to mount over the past decade or so, and we will briefly review some of the evidence. One important corollary of this theory is the proposition that all teleonomic systems require cybernetic control processes which, in human societies, are typically referred to as political systems, management systems, or governments. In accordance with the synergism hypothesis, it is postulated that the fate of any cybernetic control process in a living system is ultimately contingent upon the underlying functional effects that the system produces; the functional synergies are the very cause of the differential selection and survival of complex systems and their cybernetic subsystems. Can this theory of government qua social cybernetics be tested? It is argued here that the phenomena often referred to as ‘devolution’ provide just such an opportunity. A causal explanation of socio‐political systems should be able to account not only for various ‘progressive’ trends but also for the many cases in which regression or collapse occurs. Some studies related to political devolution will be discussed, and the arguments for competing hypotheses will be considered. A major example of political devolution will also be invoked in support of this theory. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.