The Contextual Axiom

System meaning is informed by the circumstances and factors that surround the system. The contextual axiom’s propositions are those which bound the system by providing guidance that enables an investigator to understand the set of external circumstances or factors that enable or constrain a particular system (Adams, et al., 2014, p. 119).

The contextual axiom has three principles:

1. Holism is the philosophical position which holds that understanding a system is based not solely in terms of the functions of the component parts, but by viewing the system as a whole. It may be thought of as being in direct opposition to the scientific position of reductionism that states that systems can be explained by reduction to their fundamental parts. More formally: It is very important to recognize that the whole is not something additional to the parts: it is the parts in a definite structural arrangement with mutual activities that constitute the whole. The structure and the activities differ in character according to the stage of development of the whole; but the whole is just this specific structure of parts with their appropriate activities and functions (Smuts, 1926, p. 104).

2. Darkness states "that no system can be completely known" (Adams, 2011, p. 128). This is based upon the fact that the human observer has limited sensory capabilities and may never be able to truly see all aspects of a system.

3.  Complementarity.  Complementarity addresses the aspect that no single perspective or view of a system can provide complete knowledge of the system. Niels Bohr [1885-1962], the 1922 Nobel Laureate in Physics, coined this term during his experiments on particle physics. Bohr stated that if two concepts are complementary, an experiment that clearly illustrates one concept will obscure the other complementary one. For example, an experiment that illustrates the particle properties of light will not show any of the wave properties of light (Adams, 2011, p. 128).

 

References

 

• Adams, K. M. (2011). Systems principles: foundation for the SoSE methodology. International Journal of System of Systems Engineering, 2(2/3), 120-155.

• Adams, K. M., Hester, P. T., Bradley, J. M., Meyers, T. J., & Keating, C. B. (2014). Systems Theory: The Foundation for Understanding Systems. Systems Engineering, 17(1), 112-123.

• Smuts, J. (1926). Holism and Evolution. New York: Greenwood Press.