Steersman

The Greek word for steersman was adapted to become the label for the field of Cybernetics.

In the dialogue Gorgias, steering or navigation is mentioned as the art that brings the passengers safely to the destined harbour.

Now, in the light of the recent development of higher order cybernetics, one may ask: What if the passengers themselves constitute a self-contained network of cognitive interaction, capable of self-direction and consciousness?

Does it still make sense to use such a term?

This question will be considered from the point of view of three systems positions, which approach cognitive interaction respectively in (A) Artificial terms of symbolic representations, (B) Biological terms of Autopoiesis (or more generally – Organizational Closure), and (D) Dialogical terms of Discourse and Dualities, including the pair of modes conforming to both (A) and (B).

Three kinds of Sociocultural Systems will be referred to. They are the traditions that advanced the (A) and (B) perspectives, which have been surveyed elsewhere; self-reflective small groups; and a national socioeconomic planning establishment, described by others and reanalyzed below as a Model Monopoly.

⇒ Sociocultural System

⇒ The question of Steersmanship … (Time for Dialogue and Monological Implementation)

BRÅTEN, Stein, 1984. The Third Position—beyond Artificial and Autopoietic Reduction. Kybernetes. 1 January 1984. Vol. 13, no. 3, p. 157–163. doi , page , page