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An essay on Kenneth E. Boulding's General Systems Theory: the skeleton of science
Author(s) -
Wilby Jennifer
Publication year - 2006
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.802
Subject(s) - skeleton (computer programming) , hierarchy , epistemology , computer science , philosophy , political science , law , programming language
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the hierarchy of system complexity that Kenneth E. Boulding proposed in the article General Systems Thinking—The Skeleton of Science , originally published in Management Science, 2, (1956, pp. 197–208) and to explore the implications of the Skeleton for systems theory and practice as it currently stands. The nine‐level Skeleton of Science is presented and discussed with reference to four perceived underlying frameworks within the Skeleton. The implications of the Skeleton and suggested future directions for further research are also presented. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.