5.0771 CFP: Principia Cybernetica Symposium (1/258)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Wed, 18 Mar 1992 19:24:03 EST
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 5, No. 0771. Wednesday, 18 Mar 1992.
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 09:50:55 +0100
From: fheyligh@vnet3.vub.ac.be (Francis Heylighen)
Subject: Principia Cybernetica Symposium-CFP
Call For Papers
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* SYMPOSIUM: THE PRINCIPIA CYBERNETICA PROJECT *
* computer-supported cooperative development *
* of an evolutionary-systemic philosophy *
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as part of the
13th International Congress on Cybernetics
NAMUR (Belgium), August 24-28, 1992
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About the Principia Cybernetica Project
_______________________________________
The Principia Cybernetica Project (PCP) is a collaborative attempt to
develop a complete and consistent cybernetic philosophy. Such a
philosophical system should arise from a transdisciplinary unification and
foundation of the domain of Systems Theory and Cybernetics. Similar to the
metamathematical character of Whitehead and Russell's "Principia
Mathematica", PCP is meta-cybernetical in that we intend to use cybernetic
tools and methods to analyze and develop cybernetic theory.
These include the computer-based tools of hypertext, electronic mail,
and knowledge structuring software. They are meant to support the process
of collaborative theory-building by a variety of contributors, with
different backgrounds and living in different parts of the world.
As its name implies, PCP will focus on the clarification of fundamental
concepts and principles of the cybernetics and systems domain. Concepts
include: Complexity, Information, System, Freedom, Control,
Self-organization, Emergence, etc. Principles include the Laws of Requisite
Variety, of Requisite Hierarchy, and of Regulatory Models.
The PCP philosophical system is seen as a clearly thought out and
well-formulated, global "world view", integrating the different domains of
knowledge and experience. It should provide an answer to the basic
questions: "Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going to?". The PCP
philosophy is systemic and evolutionary, based on the spontaneous emergence
of higher levels of organization or control (metasystem transitions)
through blind variation and natural selection. It includes:
a) a metaphysics, based on processes or actions as ontological primitives,
b) an epistemology, which understands knowledge as constructed by the
subject, but undergoing selection by the environment;
c) an ethics, with survival and the continuance of the process of
evolution as supreme values.
PCP is to be developed as a dynamic, multi-dimensional conceptual
network. The basic architecture consists of nodes, containing expositions
and definitions of concepts, connected by links, representing the
associations that exist between the concepts. Both nodes and links can
belong to different types, expressing different semantic and practical
categories.
Philosophy and implementation of PCP are united by their common
framework based on cybernetical and evolutionary principles: the
computer-support system is intended to amplify the spontaneous development
of knowledge which forms the main theme of the philosophy.
PCP is managed by a board of editors (presently V. Turchin [CUNY, New
York], C. Joslyn [NASA and SUNY Binghamton] and F. Heylighen [Free Univ. of
Brussels]). Contributors are kept informed through the Principia
Cybernetica Newsletter, distributed in print and by email, and the PRNCYB-L
electronic discussion group, administered by C. Joslyn (for subscription,
contact him at cjoslyn@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu). Further activities of
PCP are publications in journals or books, and the organization of meetings
or symposia. For more information, contact F. Heylighen at the address
below.
About the Symposium
___________________
After the succesful organization of a symposium on "Cybernetics and Human
Values" at the 8th World Congress of Systems and Cybernetics (New York,
June 1990), and of the "1st Workshop of the Principia Cybernetica Project"
(Brussels, July 1991), the third official activity of the Principia
Cybernetica Project will be a Symposium held at the 13th Int. Congress on
Cybernetics.
The informal symposium will allow researchers potentially interested in
contributing the Project to meet. The emphasis will be on discussion,
rather than on formal presentation. Contributors are encouraged to read
some of the available texts on the PCP in order to get acquainted with the
main issues (Newsletter available on request from the Symposium Chairman).
Papers can be submitted on one or several of the following topics:
The Principia Cybernetica Project
Cybernetic Concepts and Principles
Evolutionary Philosophy
Knowledge Development
Computer-Support Systems for Collaborative Theory Building
About the Congress
__________________
The International Congresses on Cybernetics are organized triannually
(since 1956) by the Intern. Association of Cybernetics (IAC), whose
founding members include W.R. Ashby, S. Beer and G. Pask. The 13th Congress
takes place in the "Institut d'Informatique, Facultes Universitaires
Notre-Dame de la Paix, 21 rue Grandgagnage, B-5000 Namur, Belgium". The
official congress languages are English and French.
Namur is a quiet little city on the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre
rivers, at the foot of a hill supporting impressive medieval
fortifications. The congress atmosphere is relaxed and informal, with a lot
of small symposia going on in parallel in adjacent rooms. There will be a
welcome cocktail, a congress dinner, and a meeting room available for
coffee breaks. Participants will receive a list of nearby hotels after
sending in the registration form. They can also reserve inexpensive
accommodation in student rooms.
Registration fee :
members of the IAC and authors of papers: 6000 BF (about $180)
other participants: 10000 BF (about $300)
Young researchers under 30 years 2000 BF (about $60)
(with certificate of their university)
The fee covers congress attendance, conference abstracts and coffee-breaks.
Partial Congress Programme
__________________________
The Congress will feature over 30 symposia, including the following:
(CHAIRPERSON Subject)
ACALUGARITEI G. (Roumania)
Evolutions and Metaevolutions from the Point of View of the Invariants
Associated to the Transformation Groups
BAHG C. (China)
Complex Systems and their Evolution
COLLOT F-C. (France)
Les notions de temps et d' e'volution en Cyberne'tique
FRANCOIS C. (Argentina)
Les syst`emes humains home'ostatiques ou e'mergents
HEYLIGHEN F. (Belgium)
The Principia Cybernetica Project : Computer-supported Cooperative
Development of an Evolutionary-systemic Philosophy
JDANKO A. (Israel)
- Cybernetic Systems Approach to History
- Cybernetic Systems Interpretation of the Religious Idea : From the
Primitive to the Monotheist
GASPARSKI W. (Poland)
Cybernetics and Human Behaviour
GELEPITHIS P.(United Kingdom)
Invariants of Cognitive Science : Scope, Limits, Implications
STEG D. (USA)
Determinacy and Indeterminacy in Complex Systems
VANDAMME F. (Belgium)
Cognitive Modelling for Knowledge and Information Technology : Manual
and Automatic Tools
Submission of papers
____________________
People wishing to present a paper in the Principia Cybernetica symposium
should quickly send the filled-in application form below, together with an
abstract of max. 1 page, to the addresses of the Symposium chairman
(Francis Heylighen) and of the Congress secretariat (IAC) below.
Submissions or requests to the chairman can be done directly by email, but
for the secretariat it is advisable to also send an application in paper
form. All applications should be received by March 31, 1992. People wishing
to present a paper in a different symposium can directly submit their
abstract to the secretariat.
You will be notified about acceptance not later than 1 month after
receipt of the abstract, and will receive instructions for the preparation
of the final text. Final papers (max. 5 pages) should be ready by the end
of the congress. Abstracts will be published in Symposium booklets
available at the Congress. The Proceedings will be published by the IAC
about 1 year after the congress.
==Deadlines==
* for abstract submission: March 31, 1992
* for final texts (max 5 pages): August 28, 1992
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For submissions of papers or further information about the Principia
Cybernetica project, contact the symposium chairman:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dr. Francis Heylighen
PO-PESP, Free Univ. Brussels, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
Phone +32 - 2 - 641 25 25 Email fheyligh@vnet3.vub.ac.be
Fax +32 - 2 - 641 24 89 Telex 61051 VUBCO B
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
For congress registration or further information about the congress
contact the secretariat:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
International Association for Cybernetics
Palais des Expositions, Place Ryckmans, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
Phone +32 - 81 - 73 52 09 Email cyb@info.fundp.ac.be
Fax +32 - 81 - 23 09 45
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
____________________________________________________________________
Application Form
Symposium "The Principia Cybernetica Project"
in the framework of the
13th Int. Congress on Cybernetics (Namur, 24-28 August, 1992)
Name : .......................................................
First name(s) :...............................................
Profession and titles:........................................
Institution: .................................................
..............................................................
Address : ....................................................
..............................................................
..............................................................
Nationality:..................................................
Phone : (office)..................... (home)..................
Fax:..........................................................
E-mail :......................................................
o I would like to receive more information about the Congress
o I would like to attend the Congress
o I would like to receive more information about the Principia
Cybernetica Project (Newsletter)
o I submit a paper for presentation at the Symposium "The
Principia Cybernetica Project" (abstract sent to the Symposium
chairman AND to the congress secretariat)
Title of Paper :.............................................
..............................................................
Date : Signature:
___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Dr. Francis Heylighen Systems Researcher
PO, Free University of Brussels, Pleinlaan 2, B -1050 Brussels, Belgium
Phone:+32-2-6412525; Fax:+32-2-6412489; Email: fheyligh@vnet3.vub.ac.be
_______________________________________________________________________