Document Type

Unpublished Work

Publication Date

1977

Subjects

Catastrophes (Mathematics), Phenomenology, System theory -- social aspects

Abstract

John Platt's article, "Hierarchical Restructuring" (1970), has become something of a "mini-classic" in the systems literature, much like Herbert Simon's paper, "The Architecture of Complexity" (1962). Concerned with the phenomenology of structural change in social systems, in the personalities and psyches of individuals, and in biological and cultural evolution, it in fact quite nicely complements Simon's earlier emphasis on structure and stability. The purpose of this note is to point out a striking similarity between the images of transformation suggested by Platt, and some of the basic features of Rene Thom's catastrophe theory (1975), i.e. that this topological theory can be used to model qualitatively, and in principle also quantitatively, most attributes of restructuring processes.

Keywords: hierarchical restructuring, catastrophe theory, Rene Thom, E. C. Zeeman, systemic change, structural change, cognitive dissonance, cusp catastrophe

Rights

© The Author

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/42815

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