Metasystem transition
Encyclopedia
A metasystem transition is the emergence
, through evolution
, of a higher level
of organization
or control
.
Prime examples are the origin of life, the transition from unicellular to multicellular organisms, the emergence of eusociality
or symbol
ic thought
. A metasystem is formed by the integration of a number of initially independent components, such as molecules, cells
or individiduals, and the emergence of a system steering or controlling their interactions. As such, the collective of components becomes a new, goal-directed individual
, capable of acting in a coordinated way. This metasystem is more complex
, more intelligent, and more flexible in its actions than the initial component systems.
The concept of metasystem transition was introduced by the cybernetician Valentin Turchin
in his 1977 book "The Phenomenon of Science", and developed among others by Francis Heylighen
in the Principia Cybernetica
Project. The related notion of evolutionary transition was proposed by the biologists John Maynard Smith
and Eors Szathmary
, in their 1995 book The Major Transitions in Evolution
, and developed among others by Richard Michod. Another related idea, that systems ("operators") evolve to become more complex by successive closures encapsulating components in a larger whole, is proposed in "The operator theory", developed by Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis.
Turchin has applied the concept of metasystem transition in the domain of computing, via the notion of metacompilation or supercompilation. A supercompiler is a compiler program that compiles its own code, thus increasing its own efficiency, producing a remarkable speedup in its execution.
life to sapient culture:
Emergence
In philosophy, systems theory, science, and art, emergence is the way complex systems and patterns arise out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions. Emergence is central to the theories of integrative levels and of complex systems....
, through evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, of a higher level
Level
Level or levels may refer to:-Places:*Levél, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Hungary*Level, Ohio, United States*Level Valley*Levels, West Virginia-Engineering-related:*Floor, or storey, of a building or a mine...
of organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
or control
Control theory
Control theory is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering and mathematics that deals with the behavior of dynamical systems. The desired output of a system is called the reference...
.
Prime examples are the origin of life, the transition from unicellular to multicellular organisms, the emergence of eusociality
Eusociality
Eusociality is a term used for the highest level of social organization in a hierarchical classification....
or symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
ic thought
Thought
"Thought" generally refers to any mental or intellectual activity involving an individual's subjective consciousness. It can refer either to the act of thinking or the resulting ideas or arrangements of ideas. Similar concepts include cognition, sentience, consciousness, and imagination...
. A metasystem is formed by the integration of a number of initially independent components, such as molecules, cells
Cell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
or individiduals, and the emergence of a system steering or controlling their interactions. As such, the collective of components becomes a new, goal-directed individual
Individual
An individual is a person or any specific object or thing in a collection. Individuality is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs, goals, and desires. Being self expressive...
, capable of acting in a coordinated way. This metasystem is more complex
Complex systems
Complex systems present problems in mathematical modelling.The equations from which complex system models are developed generally derive from statistical physics, information theory and non-linear dynamics, and represent organized but unpredictable behaviors of systems of nature that are considered...
, more intelligent, and more flexible in its actions than the initial component systems.
The concept of metasystem transition was introduced by the cybernetician Valentin Turchin
Valentin Turchin
Valentin Fyodorovich Turchin was a Soviet and American cybernetician and computer scientist. He developed the Refal programming language, the theory of metasystem transitions and the notion of supercompilation...
in his 1977 book "The Phenomenon of Science", and developed among others by Francis Heylighen
Francis Heylighen
Francis Paul Heylighen is a Belgian cyberneticist, and research professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Dutch-speaking Free University of Brussels, where he directs the transdisciplinary research group on "Evolution, Complexity and Cognition".-Biography:Francis Heylighen was born on...
in the Principia Cybernetica
Principia Cybernetica
Principia Cybernetica is an international cooperation of scientists in the field of cybernetics and systems science, especially known for their Principia Cybernetica Web website...
Project. The related notion of evolutionary transition was proposed by the biologists John Maynard Smith
John Maynard Smith
John Maynard Smith,His surname was Maynard Smith, not Smith, nor was it hyphenated. F.R.S. was a British theoretical evolutionary biologist and geneticist. Originally an aeronautical engineer during the Second World War, he took a second degree in genetics under the well-known biologist J.B.S....
and Eors Szathmary
Eörs Szathmáry
Eörs Szathmáry is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late Collegium Budapest Eörs Szathmáry (born 1959) is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late Collegium Budapest Eörs Szathmáry (born 1959) is a Hungarian theoretical evolutionary biologist at the late...
, in their 1995 book The Major Transitions in Evolution
The Major Transitions in Evolution
The Major Transitions in Evolution is a book written by John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szathmáry . This was a seminal publication that continues to contribute to ongoing issues in evolutionary biology....
, and developed among others by Richard Michod. Another related idea, that systems ("operators") evolve to become more complex by successive closures encapsulating components in a larger whole, is proposed in "The operator theory", developed by Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis.
Turchin has applied the concept of metasystem transition in the domain of computing, via the notion of metacompilation or supercompilation. A supercompiler is a compiler program that compiles its own code, thus increasing its own efficiency, producing a remarkable speedup in its execution.
Evolutionary Quanta
The following is the classical sequence of metasystem transitions in the history of animal evolution according to Turchin, from the origin of animateAnimal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
life to sapient culture:
- Control of Position = MotionMotilityMotility is a biological term which refers to the ability to move spontaneously and actively, consuming energy in the process. Most animals are motile but the term applies to single-celled and simple multicellular organisms, as well as to some mechanisms of fluid flow in multicellular organs, in...
: the animal or agent develops the ability to control its position in space - Control of Motion = IrritabilitySentienceSentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
: the movement of the agent is no longer given, but a reaction to elementary sensations or stimuli - Control of Irritability = ReflexReflexA reflex action, also known as a reflex, is an involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus. A true reflex is a behavior which is mediated via the reflex arc; this does not apply to casual uses of the term 'reflex'.-See also:...
: different elementary sensations and their resulting actions are integrated into a coordinated, but still rigid, reflex-like behavior - Control of Reflex = AssociationAssociation (psychology)In psychology and marketing, two concepts or stimuli are associated when the experience of one leads to the effects of another, due to repeated pairing. This is sometimes called Pavlovian association for Ivan Pavlov's pioneering of classical conditioning....
: behavioral routines become flexible or adaptive, through the learning of new associations between experienced stimuli and actions - Control of Association = ThoughtThought"Thought" generally refers to any mental or intellectual activity involving an individual's subjective consciousness. It can refer either to the act of thinking or the resulting ideas or arrangements of ideas. Similar concepts include cognition, sentience, consciousness, and imagination...
: new routines no longer need to be learned through experience; they can be developed by abstract, symbolic reasoning - Control of Thought = CultureCultureCulture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
: symbols and concepts are no longer fixed entities; they adapt through a process of cultural evolution