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Re: Anticipatory Systems



Jerry,

From Anticipatory Systems, p. 425 (final paragraph to the Appendix: "An Introduction to Complexity"):
"Our final conceptual remark is also in order. As we pointed out above, the Newtonian paradigm has no room for the category of final causation. This category is closely tied up with the notion of anticipation, and in its turn, with the ability of systems to possess internal predictive models of themselves and their environments, which can be utilized for the control of present actions. We have argued at great length above that anticipatory control is indeed a distinguishing feature of the organic world, and developed some of the unique features of such anticipatory systems. In the present discussion, we have in effect shown that, in order for a system to be anticipatory, it must be complex. Thus, our entire treatment of anticipatory systems becomes a corollary of complexity.  In other words, complex systems can admit the category of final causation in a perfectly rigorous, scientifically acceptable way. Perhaps this alone is sufficient recompense for abandoning the comforting confines of the Newtonian paradigm, which has served us so well over the centuries. It will continue to serve us well, provided that we recognize its restrictions and limitations as well as its strengths."[bold added]
 
See also, the transcript of Judith's interview with Rosen for Belgian television:
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~mikuleck/rsntpe.html
 
 
Just as we use the word 'complexity' here on this list to mean what Rosen meant by 'complexity', we also want to maintain 'anticipatory systems' to mean what he meant. The distinction between simple and complex carries alot of consequences for epistemology, modeling, realizations and relevance to biological systems. It is not just a naming matter, at least not here on  this list. Other people may use the term 'anticipatory system' elsewhere to mean something else, just as the term 'complexity elsewhere means something different; however, that is irrelevant: the main point is that the property of temporal loops and Rosennean complexity is inherent in anticipatory systems as Rosen discussed them.
 
Regards,
Tim


> -----Original Message-----
> From: ROSEN Forum [
mailto:***]On Behalf Of Jerry
> Zhu
> Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 2:09 PM
> To: ***
> Subject: Re: Anticipatory Systems
>
>
> Howard and Tim,
>
> robots are programmed to learn from "experience"
> supervised or not.  Artificial neural networks are
> just mathematic algorithms. They just do what they are
> told by deductively representing the model of
> interacion within context,  there is no new
> information or knowledge created.  If the definition
> of AS is that "future change affect current change"
> then a machine can be anticipatory, it is algorithmic
> based.
>
> Living systems create hypothesis from observation and
> existing theories.  These hypothesises are new
> information to explain new observation and accordingly
> create new models. 
>
> Algorithmic-based never transits to model-based for
> ASs if them are both defined as ASs. We never create
> life artifically.  Or machines we create can never
> transit into life.
>
> I think whether AS being complex or simple systems is
> naming issue.  I saw some papers that classify AS as
> having two kinds: algorithmic based and model based as
> I posted.
>
> Jerry