Teleonics is a systems approach with a subtle, but very important difference (Jaros and Cloete,1987; Jaros and Cloete,1993) . The systems in Teleonics are processes that do not have physical boundaries, but are informationally bonded. It is argued that these informationally bonded processes are the basic ingredients of life and entities, which appear only as the result of processes, are of secondary importance. Thus, in Teleonics one does not speak of interaction between entities, but interaction between processes. By definition (pro = for, in front, etc. and cedere = to go), processes have some kind of goal, end point or destination, which may or may not be intentionally determined. We refer to this "go-for-it" quality as goal-relatedness. The information bondedness of processes is in fact intimately related to their goal-relatedness, which can include goal-seeking as well as goal-directed behaviour. It is because of this important property, that we refer to the study of the behaviour of goal-related processes as Teleonics. To focus on processes as the major ingredients of life, of course, does not deny the existence of entities. Although, according to Teleonics, I am principally a bundle of processes, I remain an individual, albeit with somewhat indefinable boundaries. For example, the ideas I am putting into my computer at the moment remain very much part of me, even though they are situated outside my skin in a machine which will take them away to distant countries, where they will pass through someone else's machine and eventually someone else's mind. The ideas you are contemplating at the moment, are they yours or mine? Neither. They are part of a process of explaining teleonics, that has flowed through my mind and at the present is flowing through your mind and interacting with some of your processes of thinking about systems. My skin and your skin become unimportant as boundaries in this dynamic environment. We are both part of the same system. The difference between entities and processes is somewhat similar to that between particles and waves in physics. While both are true, it might be more advantageous to use one or the other as the situation requires. It might also be advantageous to speak about processes than entities in certain situations.
When one is dealing primarily with processes, viz, with "going-for something", the concept of uncertainty becomes very important. While a process is occurring there is always a doubt whether the goal will be eventually reached. One can actually say that goal-related processes are organised in order to reduce the uncertainty about reaching such goals. There are generally complex feedback arrangements that provide governance in order to ensure that envisaged goals are actually reached. If a process is well constructed there is more certainty about its success. Thus uncertainty is somehow related to the efficiency of the process. In complex networks of processes, there is an intimate interaction between processes that creates a chance for the reduction of uncertainty. However, by reducing the uncertainty of one process we can create uncertainty in another process or processes. One can thus talk about the transfer of uncertainty. In a complex network, the transfer of uncertainty can have beneficial as well as undesirable consequences. Tracing the path of transfer can provide one with useful information about the state or health of the network. This, for example, is very useful when dealing with the diagnosis and management of disease. The fabric of life is composed of processes, that connect the various levels of the concentric hierarchy. There are basically two directions which processes can follow. These directions are determined by the location of the goal towards which the processes strive. If the goal of a process is defined with respect to a level inside the level of observation, one speaks of an inward process. Conversely, if the goal is defined with respect to the outside the level of observation, the process is an outward process. Entities are composed of bundles of inward and outward processes. This duality is essential as it enables entities to maintain their positions within the complex fabric of life. Let us take the human being as an example. Passing through the human being, there are inward processes, which have their goals defined with respect to the cells of the individual. Such process is, for example, the oxygen supplying process that takes oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere and channels it to the cells. This process is very accurately controlled according to the requirements of the cells. The goal of the process, which is operating mainly at the level of the human organism, is thus at the cellular level. The outward human processes are those which have their goals defined with respect a level outside the individual. Movement and communication of an individual take place with respect to the social as well as the physical environment. In an individual, both the inward and outward processes are essential. A person can only be considered healthy if he or she is able to maintain the functioning of most of the cells in his or her body, while at the same time maintaining a harmonious relationship with his or her environment. Obviously, in addition to the processes that interconnect the levels, there are internal processes within the entities themselves, acting within a single level, between the former. These are extremely important as they provide the "glue" that holds the inward and outward processes together, maintain their synergy and are thus responsible for the formation of entities.
In the fabric of life, the above named duality exists on all levels; from subatomic to the universal. The inward and outward processes can pass through several if not all levels of the fabric. The nature of the two kind of processes is different but complementary. The inward processes are generally maintaining and integrative in nature, while the outward processes are creative and differentiative. They are both needed at all levels of the concentric hierarchy. By knowing the role of the two kinds of processes within the right locations of the fabric of life, their complementarity can be turned to advantage. It is not through a balancing of the two tendencies by compromise, but through their judicious mutual optimisation that the best results are achieved.
Teleos (from Greek) means goal, end point, aim, preferred state, purpose, something one strives for.
Teleon is a goal-related process unit (or system), consisting of a complex arrangement of actions towards an existing or developing teleos. It can be goal-directed or goal-seeking. The boundaries of a teleon are determined by the goal, that is generally (but not always) set from outside the teleon. A teleon is not bound to any particular space and can thus change continuously in its spatial configuration. An important aspect of teleons is the internal feedback through which the entire activity can be governed to achieve the set goals. Teleons are the links between the concentric levels in the living network on earth.
Telentropy is a measure of the uncertainty in a teleon with respect to reaching its teleos. The higher the uncertainty, the higher the telentropy. Telentropy can vary between 0 and 1. A telentropy of 1 means that there is no chance, whatsoever, in reaching a goal (teleos). A telentropy of 0 means that the chance is 100%. This of course can only happen in practice once the teleos has been reached. In spite of the similarity in name, telentropy is not related to entropy. It is derived from teleonomic entropy suggested by Katakis and Katakis in the 1980's. Because of their internal governance, teleons have a very strong tendency to reduce their telentropy. If they fail to do so, they pass it on. This can lead to pathology in complex systems.
Endoteleons are teleons that link an inner level to an outer level in the concentric arrangement of living network on earth, with their teleos being at the inner level. For example, a teleon that links the level of the organism to the level cells by supplying oxygen to the cells, has its teleos on the cellular level.
Exoteleons are teleons that link an outer level to an inner level in the concentric arrangement of living network on earth, with their teleos being at the outer level. For example, a teleon that links the level of the cell to the level the organism by contributing to its functions, has its teleos on the organismic level. These are cellular contributions to the working of the body, such as muscle contraction and endocrine secretion.
Endoteleons and exoteleons associate to form systems on various levels of the living network. Because of the close binding between the two kinds of teleons, these systems are referred to as doublets. In order for a doublet to take its place in the total living network, it must relate both to inner and outer levels in a balanced way.
Biomatrix is the network of teleons on earth. It consists of two kinds of systems, viz, doublets and teleons
Teleonics can provide a useful method for dealing with complex living systems. It has been used for looking at problems in psychology (Edwards and Jaros, 1994b and c; Edwards and Jaros, 1995; Pastoll and Jaros, 1994; Edwards and Jaros, 1996 ), business (Dostal and Jaros, 1994b; Jaros and Dostal, 1995) education (Dostal and Jaros, 1996A) , societal organisation (Dostal and Jaros, 1994a), healthcare (Edwards and Jaros, 1994a;Jaros and Baker, 1995; Jaros, Irlam and Vurgarellis, 1994; Jaros and Baker, 1996; Dostal, Jaros and Baker, 1996; Jaros and Peeno, 1996; Dostal and Jaros, 1996B), music (Muller, Jaros and de Rommelaere, 1994 and development (Dodds and Jaros, 1994a and b; Dodds and Jaros, 1995)
Jaros GG, AC Guyton and TG Coleman "The role of the bone in short-term calcium homeostasis: An analog-digital computer simulation", Ann. Biomed. Eng.,8:103-141,1980
Jaros GG Beginsels van Homeostase" (Principles of Homeostasis, Afr.) Geneeskunde, 22:115-117,1980
Jaros GG, H Maier, T Podzuweit, M von Gulich and JG Schindler "Transient response of the calcium homeostatic system of the conscious pig to bolus calcium injections" Am.J.Physiol., 243,1982
Jaros GG, R van Hoorn-Hickman, H Maier and E Newman "Transient response of thyroidectomised pigs to bolus calcium injections and the effect of salmon calcitonin and parathyroid hormone". J.Endocrinol.Invest. ,6:95, 1983
Jaros GG, PC Belonje, R van Hoorn-Hickman and E Newman "The transient response of the calcium homeostatic system - the effect of calcitonin". Am.J.Physiol., 246:R693-697,1984
H Maier, Jaros GG, R van Hoorn-Hickman and A Hall "Effects of an intravenous bolus calcium injections on glomerular fibrillation rate and electrolyte excretion in the kidney in conscious pigs". SA.Med.J. ,67:343-346,1985
PC Belonje, Jaros GG and E Newman "Rapid calcium transient responses". in: Current Advances in Skeletogenesis, Ornay, A (ed). Exerpta Medica, Amsterdam,1985
Jaros GG and Cloete A: Biomatrix : the web of life. World Futures , 1987; 23:215-236.
Jaros GG, Belonje PC, Breuer H. A general method for the analysis of complex physiological systems. In: Avula XJR, eds. Proceedings of the Fifth International Congress on Mathematical Modelling, Vol 8. Pergamon Press,1987; 604-608.
Jaros GG, Belonje PC, Breuer H. Biological systems: A general approach. In: Leondes CT, eds. Control and Dynamic Systems. Academic Press, London,1988; 73-115.
Cloete A, Jaros GG. The Biomatrix: Optimisation and efficiency of teleons. In: Lasker GE, eds. Advances in Systems research and Cybernetics,. International Institute for Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics, Windsor, Ontario, Canada,1989.
Jaros GG, Cloete A. The Biomatrix : The web of purposeful processes or teleons. In: Koizumi T, Lasker GE, eds. Advances in Education and Human Development. Part II : Social Systems and Processes. International Institute for Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 1990; 124-133.
Jaros GG, Cloete A. Teleonics : The Science of Purposeful Processes. In: Peckham R, eds. The ethical management of science as a system. The International Society for the Systems Sciences, Louisville, Kentucky, USA, 1993.
My e-mail address is:gjaros@med.usyd.edu.au,
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