System Transition Theory And Its Philosophical Significance

The paper points out Metasystem Transition (MST) theory which is the main idea of Turthin's philosophy. The MST explained the phenomena of the emergence of system hierarchies better than other theories did, so the paper attempts to comment on it in the viewpoints of complexity and system science philosophy. The preface gives out the paper's topic, MST, by briefly reviewing the history of complexity and system science philosophy. Then, the paper analyses MST from four main facets. The first chapter states out three crucial opinions of MST theory: action- ontology, mechanism of control, and concept and classification of MST. The second chapter talks about the evolutionary opinions of Turchin by introducing general evolution theories of K.Popper and D.T.Cambell. It also explains five stages of life's evolution which Turchin used MST to describe: stage of simple reflex, stage of complex reflex, stage of high animal, stage of human being, and stage of social integration. The third . chapter discusses the complexity and the emergence. We can connect complexity with emergence of hierarchies if regarding complexity as an irreducible characteristic of system. In MST theory, it is control that builds complexity. Because the control relations among systems in a metasystem lead to hierarchy transition. The fourth chapter discusses the philosophical meanings of MST theory from ontology, epistemology, and evolutionary cybernetic ethics. In the end, the paper briefly comments on the contributions and shortcomings of MST theory.