[1]Principia Cybernetica Web

                                 Contemporary Problems

   The changes in our present-day society are accompanied by a number of problems
   that are mostly caused by a too [2]rapid speed of advances, so that the
   [3]side-effects of a predominantly positive evolution ([4]progress) become
   difficult to control.
     ____________________________________________________________________________

   The most well-known of these problems is pollution and other forms of
   [5]environmental deterioration. Although this problem is everything but new, and
   actually tends to diminish in the most developed countries, the novelty is its
   global expansion, leading to such problem as the global warming. The
   [6]population explosion is a similar side-effect of the positive trend towards
   longer life expectancy and lower child mortality that has reached global
   proportions. However, because of the "demographic transition" (as a society gets
   more developed its birth rate plummets), this threat seems to be diminishing
   rapidly.

   The acceleration of change has also some more subtle, but more difficult to solve
   side effects. First, it leads to a [7]generalized stress on individuals,
   organizations and societies, that is often accompanied by [8]information
   overload. The ever more rapid evolution of ideas, theories, cultures and
   ideologies leads to a general [9]fragmentation of knowledge, which is sometimes
   described as the postmodern condition. A more dangerous result of this evolution
   is the fragmentation and [10]erosion of value systems, making it more difficult
   for people to distinguish between good and evil, or to choose clear goals for
   themselves.

   The best overal strategy to tackle these problems seems to be the development of
   an integrated [11]world view, such as the [12]evolutionary-cybernetic philosophy
   of the Principia Cybernetica Project, that would give us a better grasp of change
   and complexity, and offer us a system values that would guide our actions. This
   conceptual framework would also help us to develop practical technologies (e.g.
   [13]intelligent web systems) and policies to tackle fragmentation and information
   overload and promote sustainable development.
     ____________________________________________________________________________

   [14]Copyright© 2000 Principia Cybernetica - [15]Referencing this page

   Author
   F. [16]Heylighen,

   Date
   Sep 15, 2000

                                       [17]Home
                                       [up.gif]
                           [18]Metasystem Transition Theory
                                       [up.gif]
                              [19]The Future of Humanity

                                          Up
                           [20]Prev. [4arrows.gif] [21]Next
                                         Down
     ____________________________________________________________________________

   [22]Technological acceleration

   [23]Negative side-effects of progressive evolution

   [24]Environmental conditions

   [25]The population explosion

   [26]Change and Information Overload: negative effects

   [27]Post-Modern Fragmentation

   [28]The Breakdown of Values
   ____________________________________________________________________________

                                    [29]Discussion
     ____________________________________________________________________________

                                  [30]Add comment...

                                      [space.gif]

References

   1. LYNXIMGMAP:http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/CONTPROB.html#PCP-header
   2. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/TECACCEL.html
   3. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/NEGSIDEF.html
   4. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/PROGRESS.html
   5. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ENVICOND.html
   6. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/POPEXPL.html
   7. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/CHINNEG.html
   8. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/CHINNEG.html
   9. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/POMOFRAG.html
  10. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/BREAKVAL.html
  11. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/WORLVIEW.html
  12. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MSTT.html
  13. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/WEBRESEA.html
  14. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/COPYR.html
  15. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/REFERPCP.html
  16. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
  17. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/DEFAULT.html
  18. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MSTT.html
  19. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/FUTEVOL.html
  20. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/LEGIS.html
  21. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ENVICOND.html
  22. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/TECACCEL.html
  23. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/NEGSIDEF.html
  24. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ENVICOND.html
  25. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/POPEXPL.html
  26. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/CHINNEG.html
  27. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/POMOFRAG.html
  28. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/BREAKVAL.html
  29. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MAKANNOT.html
  30. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/hypercard.acgi$annotform?

[USEMAP]
http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/CONTPROB.html#PCP-header
   1. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/DEFAULT.html
   2. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HOWWEB.html
   3. http://pcp.lanl.gov/CONTPROB.html
   4. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/CONTPROB.html
   5. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SERVER.html
   6. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/hypercard.acgi$randomlink?searchstring=.html
   7. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/RECENT.html
   8. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/TOC.html#CONTPROB
   9. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SEARCH.html