Bogdanov, Pragmatism, and Uniting the Systems Movement

Hi Systems Thinkers,

This month we are honoured and excited to hear from Mike Jackson, a distinguished veteran of the Systems Thinking field, about his very recent interest and paper he has written.

The systems approach continues to lack agreed philosophical foundations. As a result, it has become fragmented and offers numerous different theories and methodologies. This proliferation of perspectives makes it difficult for those in other disciplines to interact with and learn from systems thinkers and vice versa. It also puts practitioners off. They are confused and find it hard to believe that the systems approach has the special capacity it claims for helping them succeed in the volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous (VUCA) world in which they have to act.

This month's presentation will argue that the systems approach needs rebooting on the basis of the work of Bogdanov and the Pragmatists if it is to realize its full theoretical and practical potential.

About the Presenter

Michael C. Jackson is Emeritus Professor at the University of Hull and MD of Systems Research Ltd. He graduated from Oxford University, gained an MA from Lancaster University and a PhD from Hull, and has worked in the civil service, in academia and as a consultant. Between 1999 and 2011, Mike was Dean of Hull University Business School, leading it to triple-crown accreditation. Mike has been President of the International Federation for Systems Research and the International Society for the Systems Sciences. He was editor-in-chief of Systems Research and Behavioral Science for 26 years. Mike is a Companion of the Association of Business Schools, a Chartered IT Professional, and a Fellow of the British Computer Society, the Cybernetics Society, the Chartered Management Institute, the Operational Research Society, the International Federation for Systems Research, and the International Academy for Systems and Cybernetic Sciences. He has received many awards, two honorary degrees, and has been a visiting professor at numerous international universities. In 2011 he was awarded an OBE for services to higher education and business. In 2017 he received the Beale Medal of the UK Operational Research Society for ‘a sustained contribution over many years to the theory, practice, and philosophy of Operational Research’. Mike is known as a key figure in the development of ‘critical systems thinking’ - a topic on which he has published ten books and over 150 articles. His latest book ‘Critical Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity’ was published by Wiley in April 2019.

Looking forward to you joining us for this event!

Kind regards,
The Organizers
Alidad, David and Mihail