Table of Contents

Of course, a hypertext can be read in many different orderings, but we thought to provide some kind of a default order as a general guide to the reader. Many other "guides" or "paths" through the network are possible.

This outline is not in general complete or up-to-date. Consult the recent changes for new nodes. It does not include entries in the Dictionary, list of basic concepts, papers or books in the Library.

Welcome to the Principia Cybernetica Web

• Introduction to Principia Cybernetica
  • The Need for Principia Cybernetica
    • Cybernetics and the Integration of Knowledge
    • Principia Cybernetica and Principia Mathematica
    • Principia Cybernetica as a Universal Knowledge System for Cybernetics and Systems Science
    • Specific Goals for Principia Cybernetica
  • Philosophy, Introduction
    • Philosophy as Linguistic Representation
    • Epistemology, introduction
      • Reflection-correspondence theory
    • Metaphysics, introduction
      • Process Metaphysics
      • Ontology, introduction
    • Ethics, introduction
    • What is a world view?
  • Eternal Philosophical Questions
    • What is the meaning of life?
  • Context of Principia Cybernetica
  • History of the Principia Cybernetica Project
    • First public introduction of the Principia Cybernetica Project
    • ***
    • Progress Report: 5 years of PCP
    • The Cybernetic Manifesto
    • Reactions, discussions, comments
      • Criticisms of Principia Cybernetica
      • Principia Cybernetica Web and the "Best of the Web" awards
      • Principia Cybernetica in "Wired" magazine
      • References to Principia Cybernetica in different servers
    • PCP-news digest
  • Overview of Principia Cybernetica
• Metasystem Transition Theory
  • Methodology for the Development of MSTT
    • Form and Content
    • On Semantic Analysis and Consensus Building
    • Progressive formalization
    • Multiple Beginnings, Meta-Foundationalism
      • Multiple axiomatization sets, a metaphor for metafoundationalism
      • Physical Constructivism
    • Meaning Goes First [empty]
    • Distinction foundations: evolution of meaning [empty]
  • Epistemology
    • Epistemology, introduction
      • Reflection-correspondence theory
    • Knowledge
      • Model
        • Homomorphism
      • Prediction
      • Truth
        • Statement of infiniteness
        • The law of the excluded middle
        • Predicate
        • Proof
          • Verification
          • Refutation [empty]
      • Subject of knowledge: "I"
      • Objectivity
      • Theories versus facts
      • Intuition
        • Doubt
    • Epistemological Constructivism
    • Evolutionary Epistemology
      • Vicarious Selectors
      • Knowledge Selection Criteria
        • Distinctiveness
        • Invariance
        • Utility
        • Conformity
        • Collective Utility
        • Authority
        • Coherence
    • Meta-Cognitive Modelling
      • The Principle of Incomplete Knowledge
      • Principles of Reasoning with Uncertainty
      • Measures of Uncertainty
        • Probability
        • Plausibility [empty]
        • Fuzzy logic and sets [empty]
    • Language
      • Message
      • Information [empty]
      • Syntax
        • Symbol
        • Sentence
        • Parsing
      • Semantics
        • Meaning
          • Command
          • Statement
          • Instrumental meaning
          • Concept
        • Abstraction
        • Historic record
      • Pragmatics
      • Human language
        • Neuronal vs. logical concepts
        • Formalization
          • Formality
          • Measuring formality through word frequencies
        • Four types of linguistic activities
      • Universal Semantic Language
    • Semiotics
      • Semiotic Terms
  • Metaphysics
    • Metaphysics, introduction
      • Process Metaphysics
      • Ontology, introduction
    • The meaning of metaphysics
    • From Kant to Schopenhauer
    • Knowledge and will
    • Action
      • Agent
      • Event
      • Process
      • Emergence
      • Domain
    • Distinction
    • Basic Concepts of Science
      • State of the world
      • Space
      • Time
      • Historic record
      • Objectification
      • Causality
      • Object
      • Process
      • Number
      • Infinity
      • Continuous vs. discrete
      • Observation
      • Experiment [empty]
      • System
        • Order [empty]
        • Hierarchy [empty]
        • Procedure [empty]
        • Machine [empty]
    • Determinism vs. Freedom
    • God
      • Agnosticism
      • Atheism
      • Pantheism
      • Arguments for and against the Existence of God
  • Systems Concepts
    • System
      • Order [empty]
      • Hierarchy [empty]
      • Procedure [empty]
      • Machine [empty]
    • Foundational Concepts
    • Variety
    • What is complexity?
    • Closures
  • Principles of Systems and Cybernetics
    • Occam's Razor
    • The Identity of the Indistinguishables
    • The Principle of Causality
    • Downward Causation
    • Blind Variation and Selective Retention
      • The Principle of Selective Retention
      • The Principle of Asymmetric Transitions
        • Asymmetric Transitions: an illustration
        • Definition of Fitness in terms of transition probabilities
      • The Principle of Blind Variation
    • The Principle of Autocatalytic Growth
    • The Principle of Selective Variety
    • The Principle of Recursive Systems Construction
    • The Law of Requisite Variety
    • Law of Requisite Constraint
    • The Law of Requisite Knowledge
    • Law of Requisite Hierarchy
    • The Principle of Incomplete Knowledge
    • Principles of Reasoning with Uncertainty
    • The Red Queen Principle
    • The generalized "Peter Principle"
  • Evolutionary Theory
    • The Physics of Evolution
    • The trial-and-error method
      • Variation
      • Selection
      • Fitness
        • Definition of Fitness in terms of transition probabilities
      • Blind Variation and Selective Retention
        • The Principle of Selective Retention
        • The Principle of Asymmetric Transitions
          • Asymmetric Transitions: an illustration
          • Definition of Fitness in terms of transition probabilities
        • The Principle of Blind Variation
      • The Principle of Selective Variety
    • Replication
    • Self-organization
      • Entropy and the Laws of Thermodynamics
      • Attractors
      • Deterministic Chaos
      • Kauffman's NK Boolean networks
    • Direction and Speed of Evolution
      • The Direction of Evolution
      • The Growth of Complexity
        • The Growth of Structural Complexity
        • The Growth of Functional Complexity
        • The Principle of Recursive Systems Construction
      • Punctuated Equilibrium
      • The Principle of Autocatalytic Growth
      • The Red Queen Principle
      • The generalized "Peter Principle"
    • Mathematical Modeling of Evolution
      • Models of molecular-genetic systems origin
        • Quasispecies
          • Estimation of the evolution rate
          • Neutral evolution game
          • Spin-glass model of evolution
        • Hypercycles
        • Sysers
          • Adaptive syser
      • General Models of Evolution
        • Mathematical Methods of Population Genetics
        • Kauffman's NK Boolean networks
      • Artificial Life Evolutionary Models
      • Applied Evolutionary Modeling
        • Genetic Algorithms
    • Evolutionary Systems
  • Cybernetics
    • Feedback
    • Homeostasis
    • Control
      • Properties of a Control System
      • Special Cases of Control
        • The Harmonic Oscillator as a Control System
        • Blind control
        • Metalanguage
      • Examples and Counterexamples of Control Systems (empty)
      • Other Definitions of Control
        • Powers' Definition of Control
        • Control in Terms of Statements and Commands
      • Problem-solving
      • Communication [empty]
      • Goal [empty]
      • Regulation [empty]
      • Conflict [empty]
      • Control hierarchy [empty]
      • Semantic Control
        • Semiotic Terms
  • The Metasystem Transition
    • MST as the quantum of evolution [empty]
    • Control hierarchy [empty]
    • Freedom and Constraint in a Metasystem Transition
    • Metalanguage
    • Integration and differentiation
    • Branching Growth of the Penultimate Level
    • Types of Metasystem Transitions
      • The scope of MST [empty]
    • Ultra-Metasystems [empty]
    • Metasystem Transitions in Biology
      • Biological examples of MSTs
      • Symbiosis as a Metasystem Transition
      • Evolutionary stability of cooperation
  • The History of Evolution
    • Physical Evolution [empty]
      • The origin of the Universe
      • The Creation of Stars and Galaxies
      • The Origin of Atoms and Elements
      • The Formation of Planets
      • Dissipative Structures
    • Biological Evolution
      • The Origins of Life
      • Eukaryotes: the origin of complex cells
      • Multicellular organisms
      • Sexuality as a Metasystem Transition
      • Metasystem Transitions in Biology
        • Biological examples of MSTs
        • Symbiosis as a Metasystem Transition
        • Evolutionary stability of cooperation
    • Cognitive Evolution (stages)
      • Irritability [empty]
      • Reflex [empty]
      • Learning [empty]
      • Human thinking
        • Play [empty]
        • Making tools [empty]
        • Imagination [empty]
        • Planning [empty]
        • The feeling of funny [empty]
        • The feeling of beautiful [empty]
        • Highest values [empty]
        • Creation of language [empty]
        • Self-knowledge [empty]
    • Social Evolution
      • Insect Societies
      • Human society
        • Sociobiology [empty]
        • Production system [empty]
          • Barter [empty]
          • Money [empty]
          • Market [empty]
          • Primitive production system [empty]
          • Slavery [empty]
          • Capitalism [empty]
          • Socialism [empty]
        • Political system [empty]
          • Primitive tribe [empty]
          • Empire [empty]
          • Nation state [empty]
          • Aristocratic rule [empty]
          • Oligarchy [empty]
          • Democracy [empty]
          • Separation of powers [empty]
            • Legislative power [empty]
            • Executive power [empty]
            • Juditiary [empty]
        • Spiritual system [empty]
          • Primitive culture [empty]
          • Religion [empty]
          • Scientific worldview [empty]
          • Individualism vs. collectivism [empty]
          • Institutionalization of values [empty]
      • Memetics
        • Structure of memes
        • Memetic Selection Criteria
        • Competition between Memes and Genes
        • Memes: Introduction
        • Memetic Lexicon
        • Memes on the Net
        • Links on Evolutionary Theory and Memetics
      • Evolution of Cooperation
        • Zero sum games
        • Genetic Scenarios for Evolving Cooperation
        • Memetic Scenarios for Evolving Cooperation
      • Social Integration [empty]
      • Culture [empty]
      • Human super-being [empty]
      • Science in evolution [empty]
  • The Future of Humanity
    • Popular Visions of the Future
    • Contemporary Problems
      • Technological acceleration
      • Change and Information Overload: negative effects
      • Post-Modern Fragmentation
      • The Breakdown of Values
    • Societal Progress
    • The Socio-technological Singularity
    • Memetic Evolution
    • Cybernetic Immortality
    • Cosmic role of humankind [empty]
    • The Social Superorganism and its Global Brain
      • Correspondence between Organism and Society
      • Super- and/or Meta-being(s)
      • From World-Wide Web to Super-Brain
      • Direct Interfaces into the Global Brain
      • The Global Brain Group
        • Subscription to the Global Brain mailing list
      • Basic References on the Global Brain / Superorganism
    • Links on Future Development
  • Ethics
    • Values
      • Knowledge and will
      • Science and human values
      • The Breakdown of Values
    • Evolutionary Values
      • Fitness
        • Definition of Fitness in terms of transition probabilities
      • Survival
      • Growth [empty]
      • Happiness
      • Self-Actualization
    • Will for immortality
      • Metaphysical immortality
      • Creative immortality
      • Biological immortality
      • Cybernetic Immortality
      • The Evolutionary Causes of Aging and Death
    • Human Rights
      • Human Freedom [empty]
    • Conflicts between levels
      • The problem of suboptimization
        • The Prisoners' Dilemma
      • Selfishness
      • Integration and freedom
      • Evolution of Cooperation
        • Zero sum games
        • Genetic Scenarios for Evolving Cooperation
        • Memetic Scenarios for Evolving Cooperation
      • Evolutionary origin of ethical systems
  • Foundation of Mathematics
• Project Organization
  • Principia Cybernetica Masthead
  • Editorial Board
  • Management of Principia Cybernetica
  • Collaborative Knowledge Development
    • Gathering a variety of contributions
    • Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
    • Hypertext web as a semantic network
      • Links and Link Types
    • Semantic Analysis
    • Progressive formalization
    • Consensus Building
      • collaborative granularity [empty]
    • PCP Research on Intelligent Webs
      • Learning Webs
        • The Adaptive Hypertext Experiment
        • Finding words through spreading activation
        • Cluster Analysis of Word Associations
        • Adaptive hypertext network
      • Web Connectivity Analysis
      • Collaborative Filtering
      • Bootstrapping Methods for Knowledge Structuring
  • Contributing to the Principia Cybernetica Project
    • Submitting Nodes for Inclusion in Principia Cybernetica Web
    • Doing PhD or PostDoc Research with Principia Cybernetica
    • Collaborators Needed
    • Tasks with which you can help
    • List of contributors
      • Johan Bollen
        • Biographical Sketch - J. Bollen
      • In Memoriam Donald T. Campbell
      • About Jean-Marc Dewaele
      • About Francis Heylighen
        • F. Heylighen: Biographical Sketch
        • ***
        • ***
        • About "Representation and Change"
          • Ordering "Representation and Change"
          • "Representation and Change": extended summary
      • About Cliff Joslyn
      • About Vladimir Red'ko
      • ***
      • About Valentin Turchin
        • BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES ON VALENTIN TURCHIN
      • About Stuart Umpleby
  • Principia Cybernetica Mailing Lists
    • Subscription to PCP-news
    • Subscription to PRNCYB-L
    • PRNCYB-L Subscribers
    • PRNCYB-L usage instructions
  • Principia Cybernetica News
    • Sample Issue of 2-monthly PCP-news
    • PCP-news digest
  • Tree of FTP directories
  • Principia Cybernetica Meetings
    • Symposium : The Evolution of Complexity
    • Symposium: Theories and Metaphors of Cyberspace
    • Symposium on Memetics
      • ***
  • Bibliography on Principia Cybernetica
    • Special Issue on "The Quantum of Evolution"
  • Reactions, discussions, comments
    • Criticisms of Principia Cybernetica
    • Principia Cybernetica Web and the "Best of the Web" awards
    • Principia Cybernetica in "Wired" magazine
    • References to Principia Cybernetica in different servers
• PCP Research on Intelligent Webs
  • Learning Webs
    • The Adaptive Hypertext Experiment
    • Finding words through spreading activation
    • Cluster Analysis of Word Associations
    • Adaptive hypertext network
  • Web Connectivity Analysis
  • Collaborative Filtering
  • Bootstrapping Methods for Knowledge Structuring
• Navigation in PCP Web
  • Web Organization
    • Structure of Principia Cybernetica Web
    • How to use Principia Cybernetica Web
      • Guidelines for making annotations
    • Node Organization
    • Hypertext web as a semantic network
      • Links and Link Types
    • Principia Cybernetica Copyright Statement
  • Table of Contents
  • Search
    • Common Search Errors
  • Alphabetical Index
  • Recent Changes/Additions
    • User Annotations
    • Changes-Additions 1993-94
    • Changes-Additions 1994-95
    • Changes-Additions 1995-96
    • Changes-Additions 1996-97
    • Changes-Additions 1997-98
  • Node usage statistics
  • The Free University of Brussels
    • Things to see in Brussels
    • Belgium: Overview
• Reference material
  • Principia Cybernetica Electronic Library
    • Ashby's book "Introduction to Cybernetics"
    • "The Macroscope", a book on the systems approach
    • "The Phenomenon of Science", a book on MSTT
    • About "Representation and Change"
      • Ordering "Representation and Change"
      • "Representation and Change": extended summary
    • Special Issue on "The Quantum of Evolution"
    • ***
  • Web Dictionary of Cybernetics and Systems Theory
  • Cybernetics and Systems Theory
    • What are Cybernetics and Systems Science?
      • Basic Concepts of the Systems Approach
      • What is Systems Theory?
      • Analytic vs. Systemic Approaches
      • The Nature of Cybernetic Systems
      • History of Cybernetics and Systems Science
      • Cybernetics and Systems Thinkers
      • Cybernetics and Systems Science in Academics
      • Cybernetics and Systems Science and Academic Work
      • Existing Cybernetic Foundations
      • Cybernetic Technology
        • Cyberspace
        • Cybernetic Theory and Cybernetic Practice
      • Relation to other disciplines
        • Complex Adaptive Systems
        • Self-organization and complexity in the natural sciences
    • Basic Books on Cybernetics and Systems Science
    • Basic Papers on Cybernetics and Systems Science
    • Classic Publications on Complex, Evolving Systems
    • Cybernetics and Systems Science Compendia
    • Cybernetics and Systems Journals
    • Cybernetics and Systems Societies
      • IAC - International Association for Cybernetics
    • Mailing Lists and Newsgroups on Cybernetics and Systems
    • Links on Cybernetics and Systems
  • Sites Related to Principia Cybernetica
    • Links on Cybernetics and Systems
    • Links on Complexity, Self-organization and Artificial Life
    • Links on Evolutionary Theory and Memetics
    • Links on Future Development
    • Links on Cognitive Science and AI
    • Links on Computer Interfaces and the Web
    • Links on Philosophy
    • Links on Indexes and Encyclopedias