Epilogue to Part II: functional and specific design principles

Abstract

In the previous two chapters, we unfolded Beer’s functional and de Sitter’s specific design principles. As argued, these principles can be used to diagnose and design organizational (infra)structures supporting experiments with meaningful survival. This means that we have realized the objective set for Part II of the book. In this epilogue, we summarize these principles (8.2) and reflect on their status (8.3). In this reflection, we argue that the design principles are not contingent and risky, like the selections figuring in the experiment, but necessary and certain. Section 8.4 marks the transition to Part III of the book.