Texts
- The Problem of Learning
- Problemistics Courseware
- Corso su Problemistica
- Resources Management
- Manuale/Intellettuale
- Campagna/Città
Problemistics - Problémistique - Problemistica
The Art & Craft of Problem Dealing
Cooperating
Cooperating in nature and society (Arthur Koestler)
Effectiveness and efficiency (Chester Barnard)
Related concept : synergy (Union of International Associations)
[1967] Arthur Koestler, The Ghost in the Machine, Hutchinson, London
“Instead of separateness and independence there is co-operation and inter-dependence, running through the whole gamut, from physical symbiosis to the cohesive bonds of the swarm, hive, shoal, flock, herd, family, society.” (p. 67)
“... we nowhere find completely self-contained wholes, only holons - double-faced entities which display the characteristics both of independent units and of inter-dependent parts.” (p. 69)
“We cannot help interpreting Nature as an organization of parts-within-parts, because all living matter and all stable inorganic systems have a part-within-part architecture, which lends them articulation, coherence and stability; and where the structure is not inherent or discernible, the mind provides it by projecting butterflies into the inkblot and camels into the clouds.” (p. 83)
[1968. First published 1938] Chester I. Barnard, The Functions of the Executive, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.
“What we mean by ‘effectiveness’ of cooperation is the accomplishment of the recognized objective of cooperative action. The degree of accomplishment indicates the degree of effectiveness.” (p. 55)
“The efficiency of a cooperative system is its capacity to maintain itself by the individual satisfactions it affords. This may be called its capacity of equilibrium, the balancing of burden by satisfactions which results in continuance.” (p. 57)
[1986, Second Edition] Union of International Associations eds. Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential, K. G. Saur, München
“Cooperative and interactive effects between social and technical innovations may be termed synergistic. They tend to be important not only because advances in one area are correlated with or spur advances in other areas, but also because various separate advances often allow for unexpected solutions to problems or can be fitted together to make new wholes that are greater than the sum of their parts or lead to other unexpected innovations.” (KC0967)