1. The Trialogic Imagination: Re-Thinking Beer’s “3-4-5” Homeostat for Social Systems

2. The Trialogic Imagination Most systems theories from Bogdanov onwards propose the existence of an equilibrial or homeostatic state which a system, if perturbed, will ‘attempt’ to re-approximate. By introducing a notion of ‘self’ the “ultrastable” system developed in the work of Ashby and Beer also enables the active avoidance of disequilibrial or counter-homeostatic states. Pete Dudley

3. The Trialogic Imagination Most systems theories from Bogdanov onwards propose the existence of an equilibrial or homeostatic state which a system, if perturbed, will ‘attempt’ to re-approximate. By introducing a notion of ‘self’ the “ultrastable” system developed in the work of Ashby and Beer also enables the active avoidance of disequilibrial or counter-homeostatic states. However, more recent work following the development of self-organization, chaos and complexity theories suggests that entities that are able to function in this way are necessarily already “far from equilibrium”. Pete Dudley

4. The Trialogic Imagination Most systems theories from Bogdanov onwards propose the existence of an equilibrial or homeostatic state which a system, if perturbed, will ‘attempt’ to re-approximate. By introducing a notion of ‘self’ the “ultrastable” system developed in the work of Ashby and Beer also enables the active avoidance of disequilibrial or counter-homeostatic states. However, more recent work following the development of self-organization, chaos and complexity theories suggests that entities that are able to function in this way are necessarily already “far from equilibrium”. Both of which make sense – but each appears to contradict the other Pete Dudley

5. The Trialogic Imagination The ‘bifurcation graph’, one of the iconic images of chaos and complexity theories, can be interpreted as representing sustainable trajectories for systems pushed further and further from their formal equilibrium state. Each time the graph splits it can be interpreted as a systemic crisis, a point at which additional and different structural characteristics become both possible and necessary. Pete Dudley

6. The Trialogic Imagination The ‘bifurcation graph’, one of the iconic images of chaos and complexity theories, can be interpreted as representing sustainable trajectories for systems pushed further and further from their formal equilibrium state. Each time the graph splits it can be interpreted as a systemic crisis, a point at which additional and different structural characteristics become both possible and necessary. Prigogine’s work on the self-organization of inorganic materials led him to the definition of “dissipative systems”, systems that appeared to spontaneously re-structure in response to their current (and far from equilibrium) state and then maintain this structured state in the face of increased ‘pumping’ until another boundary was crossed. Pete Dudley

7. The Trialogic Imagination The ‘bifurcation graph’, one of the iconic images of chaos and complexity theories, can be interpreted as representing sustainable trajectories for systems pushed further and further from their formal equilibrium state. Each time the graph splits it can be interpreted as a systemic crisis, a point at which additional and different structural characteristics become both possible and necessary. Prigogine’s work on the self-organization of inorganic materials led him to the definition of “dissipative systems”, systems that appeared to spontaneously re-structure in response to their current (and far from equilibrium) state and then maintain this structured state in the face of increased ‘pumping’ until another boundary was crossed. Structure (i.e., ‘systemness’), it would seem, is a spontaneous response to far from equilibrium conditions. Pete Dudley

8. The Trialogic Imagination The interesting thing about this is that it suggests that any emergent dissipative structure be a function of the relationship its constituent parts have with its environment. Energy in Energy out The range of possible structures being a function of the ‘physics’ of the constituent parts and the range of feasible structures being a sub-set determined by environmental conditions. Pete Dudley

9. The Trialogic Imagination Which suggests: a) the primacy of the relationship over the structure; and, Energy in Energy out Pete Dudley

10. The Trialogic Imagination Which suggests: a) the primacy of the relationship over the structure; and, Energy in Energy out b) that systemic viability (“persistent” structure) requires that the ‘far from equilibrium’ conditions - and therefore the relationship between the constituent parts and the environment - also persist in order to maintain it. Pete Dudley

11. The Trialogic Imagination Prigogine and Stengers categorized living things as archetypal dissipative systems, their nature and ubiquity being such that the existence of life is probably “inevitable”. Energy in Energy out Therefore: Metabolism must be a special form of “dissipation” - mirroring the energy degradation process and using the autopoiesis of the living system as the mechanism of self-organization in order to maintain its existence in its far from (absolute) equilibrium state. Pete Dudley

12. The Trialogic Imagination If metabolism is accepted as the biological form of dissipation autopoiesis (as the “self-creation” of biological structure) must also give primacy to the maintenance of the relationship between the system and its environment over the absolute maintenance of its structure. Energy in Energy out And therefore: Autopoiesis, as a form of self-organization, must provide the ability to recreate the system as an approximation rather than a direct replication in response to, or in anticipation of, changes in environmental conditions. Pete Dudley

13. The Trialogic Imagination Energy in Energy out And therefore that systemic identity is plastic Pete Dudley

14. The Trialogic Imagination 5 Whole Environment Performance Loop 4 3 Beer’s Viable System Model (VSM), and its predecessor Ashby’s ultrastable system, both contain an identity function – System 5 in the VSM and the Essential Variables in the ultrastable system. However both these ‘identities’ are fixed – that is they facilitate adaptive behaviour as a function of the maintenance of the relationship between ‘identity as it is’ and the environment. 3* 2 Local Activity Performance Loop Pete Dudley

15. The Trialogic Imagination 5 5 Whole Environment Performance Loop 4 4 3 3* 2 3 3* 2 This means that any change in the identity of the system constitutes the creation of a new, and different, system. Whilst this discontinuity in identity and system is not problematic in the biological realm – because, to a great extent, it mirrors the accepted processes of speciation – it is more so in the socio-cultural and psychological spheres. Local Activity Performance Loop Pete Dudley

16. The Trialogic Imagination The difficulty in applying this type of model to the study of change in socio-cultural and psychological systems is that, with few notable exceptions, there is a presumption of continuity. Gould, however, suggests that such systems are Lamarckian – they retain useful characteristics across generations – and are not, therefore, necessarily subject to the discontinuity implicit in Darwinian speciation. Pete Dudley

17. The Trialogic Imagination If utility is a ‘selection active’ factor in socio-cultural and psychological change it follows (in the cybernetic model) that identity must be subject to pressure from both environmental demand and structural capability. Pete Dudley

18. The Trialogic Imagination The “Trialogue” is a three way conversation between: Pete Dudley

19. The Trialogic Imagination Managing the Present The “Trialogue” is a three way conversation between: The management of current activities; Pete Dudley

20. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Managing the Present The “Trialogue” is a three way conversation between: The management of current activities; The creation of future opportunities (and the avoidance of threats); and, Pete Dudley

21. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present The “Trialogue” is a three way conversation between: The management of current activities; The creation of future opportunities (and the avoidance of threats); and, Identity – the basis of internal rationality and the principle of organization. Pete Dudley

22. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present It is an extension of a line of reasoning that runs from Ashby’s “ultrastable system” Pete Dudley

23. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present Reacting System It is an extension of a line of reasoning that runs from Ashby’s “ultrastable system” Pete Dudley

24. The Trialogic Imagination Second Feedback Loop Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present Reacting System It is an extension of a line of reasoning that runs from Ashby’s “ultrastable system” Pete Dudley

25. The Trialogic Imagination Second Feedback Loop Creating the Future Identity Essential Variables Managing the Present Reacting System It is an extension of a line of reasoning that runs from Ashby’s “ultrastable system” Pete Dudley

26. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present Through Beer’s “3-4-5” homeostat Pete Dudley

27. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present System 3 Through Beer’s “3-4-5” homeostat Pete Dudley

28. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future System 4 Identity Managing the Present System 3 Through Beer’s “3-4-5” homeostat Pete Dudley

29. The Trialogic Imagination System 5 Creating the Future System 4 Identity Managing the Present System 3 Through Beer’s “3-4-5” homeostat Pete Dudley

30. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present And although it shares some of the characteristics of its predecessors, e.g.: It is one of the ubiquitous “trinities” (thanks Gerald); and, for the most part, “Identity” contextualizes or controls the interaction between “Present” and “Future” oriented activities Pete Dudley

31. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present And although it shares some of the characteristics of its predecessors, e.g.: It is one of the ubiquitous “trinities” (thanks Gerald); and, for the most part, “Identity” contextualizes or controls the interaction between “Present” and “Future” oriented activities It is different in one important respect … Pete Dudley

32. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present Because identity is now conceived as an emergent entity, contingent upon the interaction of environmental factors and structural capability … Pete Dudley

33. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present Because identity is now conceived as an emergent entity, contingent upon the interaction of environmental factors and structural capability … … the trialogue can explicitly recognize the “Plasticity of Identity” Pete Dudley

34. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present Which means that the system’s (theoretical) viability is extended to include the ability to change the internal rationality used to drive adaptation … Pete Dudley

35. The Trialogic Imagination Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present Which means that the system’s (theoretical) viability is extended to include the ability to change the internal rationality used to drive adaptation … … an ability which can now include a full range of adaptive and evolutionary effects, with specific instances such as cultural change, discontinuous speciation or psycho-active therapy as special cases. Pete Dudley

36. The Trialogic Imagination Whole Environment Performance Loop Creating the Future Identity Managing the Present 3* 2 Local Environment Performance Loop And which, when re-inserted into the VSM, creates an adaptive model that is able to contain socio-cultural and psychological as well as biological evolutionary abilities – without transgressing Beer’s original rules of viability. Pete Dudley

37. The Organization in Society Organizations survive via a ‘value-exchange’ with society; This value is is determined by society (not the organization) and may change over time. Renewal Value Exchange Social Change Structure Information Behaviour Productive Activity Pete Dudley

38. The Organization in Society Part of the value the organization receives is used to fund further productive activity; And part to sustain or renew the organization (autopoiesis). Renewal Value Exchange Social Change Structure Information Behaviour Productive Activity Pete Dudley

39. The Organization in Society To survive and prosper over time the organization must be able to: a) align its capability to the social context (adaptation); b) so that it can continue to create social value and renew itself - within the constraints of the organizational value it receives, Renewal Value Exchange Social Change Structure Information Behaviour Productive Activity Pete Dudley

40. The Organization in Society Which means that the organization must be able to: a) Understand the value context – society’s notion of what is valuable; b) Understand and manage its identity – so that it knows what it is attempting to renew, and why; c) Manage its productive activity – so that it can deliver value into society; Renewal Value Exchange Social Change Structure Information Behaviour Productive Activity Pete Dudley

41. Managing Value Understanding the Value Context So that strategy is the area of management responsible for ensuring that ‘productive’ activity delivers organizational value by being able to deliver societal value – it provides an operational context aligned to the societal context. Defining What Value Means to Us Strategy Managing the Creation of Value Pete Dudley

42. The Trialogic Imagination: Re-Thinking Beer’s “3-4-5” Homeostat for Social Systems