Setting the theoretical stage: a reply to Magala

Abstract

This article is a reply to the paper in this issue by Slawomir J. Magala 'Commentary: Setting the theoretical stage'. He comments that the use of my core social viable systems model from knowledge cybernetics depends crucially on its adequacy of use in their bridging of the gap between two views: that culture is a relatively stable and identifiable causal factor triggering human behaviour, and that culture (a la Hofstede) is a mutable flow of action resources, which is co-shaped by social interactions, modified by learning loops and continuously corrected by self-reflexive actions. The consideration of learning loops requires an incite into the nature of cybernetics and feedback, and so I will begin with this. Comment is also made on the nature of culture from that follow Sorokin which predates Hofstede by more than 30 years. Magala also is interested in a better understanding of the Maruyama Universes, and a clearer understanding of the nature of the recursive approach, as well as the relationship between domains and processes of the model. This paper briefly attempts to respond to these questions.