Second-Order Science: A Vast and Largly Unexplored Science Frontier Karl H. Müller Steinbeis Transfer Center New Cybernetics Washington, November 26, 2014

Overview  The Mystery of Second-Order Cybernetics: Heinz von Foerster, a Copernican Revolution, but no Traces  Three Science Levels, Zero- and First-Order Science  Different Ways of Combining ‚Science‘ with ‚2‘  Functions, Tasks and PhD-Programs in Second- Order Science and in New Cybernetics

The Mystery of Second-Order Cybernetics Heinz von Foerster (1911 – 2002): Cybernetics of Cybernetics (1974): Two Pages Cybernetics of Cybernetics (2003): Four Pages

The Building Blocks of Foerster‘s Second-Order Cybernetics

A Three Level Architecture for Contemporary Science

Do We Need First-Order Science? (Science of Exploring the World) Definitely Yes. Functionally and operationally first-order science was for centuries the only scientific mode for exploring nature and society and for ordering possible worlds of logic, mathematics, etc. Tasks: Producing First-Order Research (Analyses, Descriptions, Explanations, Models, Theory Constructions, etc.) and First-Order Outputs (Articles, Reports, Research Papers, Books, e-Content, etc.)

Do We Need Zero-Order Science? (Research Infrastructures) Definitely Yes. Functionally and operationally zero-order science is in high demand across many scientific disciplines. Reserach Infrastructures fulfil a vital catalytic function of  Enabling First-Order Research (New Experiments, New Data and Measurements, etc.)  Accelerating First-Order Research through Bibliographic, Data-based, Genomic, etc. Information Bases

Science Landscapes around the 1950s and 1960s

Second-Order Science, Science II and Science 2.0 Three Seemingly Equivalent Concepts, but in very Different Semantic Domains:  Science I/II refers to different stages in the evolution of science (Science I from the 16th Century to 1900/1950, Science II from the 1950s onward)  Science 2.0 is focused on new net-based support for co-opration  But what is Second-Order Science?

Second-Order Science: Based on Re-entries in First-Order Elements Examples of Re-entries: “Computation of computation, cybernetics of cybernetics, geometry of geometry, linguistics of linguistics, logic of logic, magic of magic, mathematics of mathematics, pattern of pattern, teaching of teaching, will of will.” (Kauffman, 2005: 129) Second-Order Level: A Vast and Largely Unexplored Science Frontier

Inversion of Novelty and the Rise of Second-Order Science Second-Order Science as an Innovation Pump: Evaluation of Evaluations, Impact-Study of Impact-Studies, etc.

Different Types of Re-Entries

The Post-Disciplinary Configuration (New Cybernetics)

Functions of Second-Order Science Three Major Functions and Goals for Second-Order Science.  Innovation Outlets and Innovation Pump: Second-Order Science creates challenging new problems, innovative solutions and acts as an open science frontier  Robust Knowledge: Second-Order Science provides quality controls for first-order science (meta-analysis)  Higher Levels of Integration, Generality, etc: Second- order analyses lead to more integrative, general or deeper building blocks when compared to their corresponding first-order elements

Two Modes for Pursuing First- and Second-Order Science Exo-science Mode: Traditional Exploratory Science Mode, Observer Excluded, „Objectivity“ Endo-science Mode: Observer Becomes Part of the Field under Investigation

Intersubjective Reproducibility as Primary Goal for the Endo-Mode  Account of the Operations by an Observer Becomes Necessary  Account in the Format of a Recipe Which Can be Used for Reproduction  Recipe as Rule System with a Set of Recombination Operators

PhD-Programs for Second-Order Science and New Cybernetics Separation of Science Landscapes into N Different Dimensions and Various Contexts in Each Dimension

General Outline for a Three Year PhD-Program (Level 3 Bologna) For Second-Order Science and for New Cybernetics: 12 Field Courses (60 ECTS) and 9 PhD-Related Courses (120 ECTS) Distribution of Field Courses (X): Foundations (X) Widening, Deepening, Integrating (X) Second-Order Methods and Methodologies (X) Research Designs for Second-Order Analyses (X) Science-Society-Relations (X) Research Infrastructures for (X)

Three Types of Scienctific Reflexivity Reflexivity can occur in all three nodes of a triadic configuration between an observer Ob, a research domain X and her or his research/societal environment RS.

Three Types of Scienctific Reflexivity Reflexivity of First-Order Science Building Blocks X Scientific Reflexivity:X  RE  X(X) Patterns of patterns, theory of theories, models of models, etc Reflexivity of Observers Ob and their observations (Ob) Self-Reflexivity;Ob  RE  Ob(Ob) Understanding understanding, science writing of scienc writings, observings of observings, etc. Reflexivity of the Research and Society Environment E Environmental Reflexivity:E ↔ X, E ↔ Ob, E ↔ Ob ↔ X Interaction betwen scientific ideas and their environments, interactions between scientific observers and their environments, interactions between scientific building blocks, observers and their environments, etc.

Old and New Cybernetics First-Order Cybernetics New Cybernetics Trans-disciplinary Field for Post-disciplinary Field for the Natural, Technical and SocialScience System as a Whole Systems at theat the Second-Order First-Order LevelLevel Steering, Controlling of Steering, Navigating, through Technical, Natural or Societal Science Landscapes at Systemsthe First- and Second-Order Level, Quality Control, Innovation Engine for First-Order Research Emphasis on InformationEmphasis on Knowledge, and on Information Knowledge Enhancements and TechnologiesEmbedded Knowledge Techn. Main Emphasis on StrongMain Emphasis on Coordination Forms of Control and on Weak Forms of Control

Old and New Cybernetics Central for Control and Central for Communication and Communication in NaturalCoordination for the Science Social and Technicaland Research System in General Systems First-Order Level Research onSecond-Order Level Research Nature, Society and Techn. on First-Order Research and Researchers On Systems ObservedOn Observing Systems Little Relevance for Self-Re-Central Relevance for Self- flexive ResearchReflexive Research Observer Excluded fromObserver Included inResearch Processes ObjectivityIntersubjective Reproducibility

Relevant Literature Müller, K.H. (2014), New Cybernetics. The Structures of a Scientific Revoltion. Wien:edition echraum (forthcoming) Müller, K.H. (2015), “Towards a General Methodology of Second-Order Science”, in: Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics (to be published) Riegler, A., Müller, K.H. (eds.), Second-Order Science, Special Issue of Constructivist Foundations, No. 1, Vol. 10, 2014

A Concluding Aphorism First-Order Science: the Science of Exploring the World Second-Order Science: the Science of Reflecting on these Explorations

Contact: Karl H. Müller Steinbeis Transfer Center New Cybernetics Vienna, Austria

Clusters of PhD-Programs in New Cybernetics