Reality, perception, systems thinking

[sbyers@wirb.com]

Vic Forte wrote:
'Then there is the confusion of perception and reality. I have come to the
conclusion that most people I meet find it difficult to distinguish between
what "actually is" and what is perceived, and we rarely have the humility to
try to find the difference. We have strong beliefs about what "actually is".
Structures of authority and influence are powerful determinants of
conventional ideas about "the way things are". Theory of variation has a lot
to do with distinguishing reality from perception.'

When I read this paragraph I was reminded of a passage in
Fritjof Capra's book The Web of Life and his explanation
of the Santiago Theory of Cognition. According to this 
theory, Capra says, "cognition is not a representation 
of an independent, pregiven world, but rather a bringing
forth of a world. What is brought forth by a particular
organism in the process of living is not the world but a
world, one that is always dependent upon the organism's
structure. Since individual organisms within a species
have more or less the same structure, they bring forth
similar worlds. We humans, moreover, share an abstract
world of language and thought through wich we bring forth
our world together." (page 270 of the Anchor paperback).

This theory of cognition (probably like most theories of
cognition) is tough to wrap one's mind around. But I wonder
whether the idea that there is no pregiven world (reality?)
to perceive can have some bearing on Mr. Forte's comment.
Perhaps it is not so important to decide whether what we 
perceive is in fact what "is". Rather, systems theory is
"a general science of wholeness."

I would be interested in the thoughts of others more well
studied in Capra's writings. I began reading him after the
last In2InThinking Forum, thanks to Bill Bellows.  I think
any discussion of what we mean by system and how we should
think about systems would benefit from a sidetrip to Capra.

Regards,

Steven Byers
Olympia, WA


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