Organisms, Machines, and Thunderstorms: A History of Self-Organization, Part One
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hsns.2008.38.1.pdf
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175.44 KB
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Adobe PDF
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81e07cdc30bb87577168d86a8dc3e4e5
Author(s)
Keller, Evelyn F
Date Issued
February 2008
Journal
Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences
Publisher
University of California Press
Citation
Keller, Evelyn Fox. “Organisms, Machines, and Thunderstorms: A History of Self-Organization, Part One.” Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences 38.1 (2008): 45-75.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Over the last quarter century, the term "self-organization" has acquired a currency that, notwithstanding its long history, has been taken to signal a paradigm shift, and perhaps even a scientific revolution, introducing a new Weltanschauungin fields as diverse as mathematics, physics, biology, ecology, cybernetics, economics, sociology, and engineering. But there is a prehistory to this revolution, as to the term itself, with at least two earlier episodes in which the same term was used to signal two other, quite different revolutions. In this paper, I review the pre-history of "self-organization," starting with Immanuel Kant, who first introduced the term, and then turn to the dramatic reframing of the concept by mid-twentieth century engineers. In a subsequent paper, I will review the more recent history of this concept when the term was once again reframed, this time by physicists. My aim will be to situate this latest incarnation of "self-organization" against the backdrop of earlier discussions.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Science, Technology and Society
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/hsns.2008.38.1.45
