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Search - The World as a Total System

The World as a Total System
Author: Kenneth E. Boulding

Economist Kenneth Boulding, an acclaimed social historian, theoretician, and visionary, has written a much anticipated sequel to his Ecodynamics: A New Theory of Societal Evolution (Sage, 1978). That highly lauded work, in applying the tenets of evolutionary theory to the social sciences, examined what patterns, if any, occur in the development ... more »of societies. In The World as a Total System, Boulding goes one analytical step further. He examines the extent to which the Earth is a total system of interacting parts as well as the degree to which it is a "great mosaic" of isolated systems having little or no impact on one another. In addition, he paints, with what he calls a broad brush, some of the more important of these "static" and "dynamic" systems. Boulding's belief is that the world has moved a "long way" toward becoming a single economic, cultural, and communication system in the last century--although politically it has become more "fragmented and diverse." His hope is that his new book will "help to provoke a movement among the educational systems of the world for both research and teaching about the world as a total system, so that we may all come to see ourselves and our own cultures and countries as rightly close and important to us, but also as finding their greatest significance as parts of a larger whole." Everyone interested in the study of systems will find Kenneth Boulding's latest insights enlightening and intriguing. The World as a Total System can be used as a core text or supplement in courses dealing with social, political, and economic theory and history; systems analysis; and social change. "The reader of these volumes will be taken on a well organized tour of the major problems of the world. He will be introduced to many new ideas and learn many interesting facts that he was ignorant of, and be reminded of many facts and ideas that he once knew but had forgotten. He will also enjoy close contact with the unusually lively and imaginative mind of his guide." --New York Times Book Review "The World as a Total System represents a unique synthesis of our world as a complex and dynamic entity, the function of which is the result of the interaction of several major subsystems. Author Kenneth Boulding's unique background as an international social scientist makes him especially well suited for synthesizing a functional perspective of our global system by focusing in on seven major aspects, or subsystems, of this major global system. Through the unique perspectives of Physics, Biology, Sociology, Economics, Politics, Communications, and Evaluation, the author proceeds to weave his hypothetical fabric, which eventually emerges as the inevitable consequence and interaction of these major subordinate systems. "The World as a Total System comes across with consistent depth, flow, and impact. The text is also liberally enlightened with fresh and provocative concepts, which serve to whet the reader's curiosity and challenge the intellect throughout....a unique and valuable resource for anyone interested in studying the interrelationships and behaviors of global systems." --Elliott C.L. Maynard, Director of Research & Development, Arcos Cielos "Written by a person whose intellectual trajectory is literarily speaking astronomical. . . Boulding has read so much, seen so much, thought so much, discussed so much, and in addition to that written so enormously much, that what comes out certainly merits that rare distinction: wisdom. I would conclude by recommending the books whole-heartedly. They are stimulating reading, lucid and well written, filled with surprising insights, opening windows, opening doors, opening whole walls." --Johan Galtung, Journal of Peace Research

ISBN-13: 9780803924437
ISBN-10: 0803924437
Publication Date: 4/1/1985
Pages: 184
Rating:

0 stars, based on 0 rating

Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc
Book Type: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

Genres:

History >> World >> General
Nonfiction >> Social Sciences >> General
Nonfiction >> Social Sciences >> Sociology >> General

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