Managing complexity: from visual perception to sustainable transitions. Contributions of Brunswik’s Theory of Probabilistic Functionalism

TitleManaging complexity: from visual perception to sustainable transitions. Contributions of Brunswik’s Theory of Probabilistic Functionalism
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsSusskind, L
JournalEnvironment Systems and Decisions
Abstract

Roland Scholz and his team have done a fine job of drawing attention to what they see as the important insights contained in Brunswik’s Theory of Probabilistic Functionalism (TPF). And, they have made a praiseworthy effort to demonstrate how Brunswik’s insights can be applied to many kinds of organisms or systems, at many levels and, at the same time, contribute to the management of social complexity. In its scope, Scholz’s paper is truly transdisciplinary. (So much so, that I am not adequately equipped to comment on several portions of the review.) The primary goal of the paper is to demonstrate that it is possible to apply Brunswik’s insights about visual perception, including contemporary knowledge about its corresponding biological processes, to the way we understand social phenomena (like the functioning of human groups). Therefore, I will focus on the portion of the paper that seeks to explore this connection.

DOI10.1007/s10669-017-9661-6