Sociocybernetic understandings of consciousness
B. Scott
Journal of Sociocybernetics July 13, 2018 DOI: 10.26754/ojs_jos/jos.201812138 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that sociocybernetics can combine biological, psychological, and sociological concepts to clarify human consciousness, characterizing awareness and consciousness as dynamics of self-organizing, autopoietic systems. Contends that human consciousness requires distinguishing bio-mechanical from psychosocial systemic unities, giving rise to a second-order cybernetics in which the observer explains herself to herself, and that these understandings can guide creating communities in which good will prevails. |
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to show how sociocybernetics can usefully combine biological, psychological and sociological concepts to provide conceptual clarification and insightful understandings of human consciousness. Following a brief discussion and critique of how the term “consciousness” is used in contemporary cognitive science, awareness and consciousness are characterised in cybernetic terms as the dynamics of self-organising, autopoietic systems and their interactions. Sociocybernetic models of conscious systems are presented and discussed. It is argued that in order to characterise human consciousness it is necessary to make a distinction between bio-mechanical systemic unities and psychosocial systemic unities. Reflexively, this gives rise to a second-order cybernetics in which the observer explains herself to herself. Finally, there is a discussion of how sociocybernetic understandings of consciousness can give guidance for how to create and sustain communities in which good will prevails.