Self-Organization and Self-Construction of Order

Abstract

As noted by many people (e.g. Salthe, 1993), self-organization is increasingly becoming the bedrock of the so-called complex systems which, themselves, span the whole spectrum of reality: from the physical universe to human beings and, beyond that, to constructs of human beings such as technological systems. This volume is a good example of variety within self-organization (from here abbreviated as SO). This is so because evolving systems are the quintessential expression of SO. But, why SO? Why is it so pervasive? In other words, what is it that SO responds to? What is it that SO solves in each system where it is present? These questions are in need of examination. We tend to acknowledge the existence of SO and, from that acknowledgement, go straightaway to the business of describing it as best we can, usually leaving aside the task of identifying, fully and deeply, what the problem dealt with by SO is. I shall attempt to deal principally with the question: why SO? The outcome will be used to determine what is needed to implement formal representations of SO.