antlerboy - Benjamin P Taylor 2:41 pm on January 23, 2022

What is Cybernetics? Conference by Stafford Beer – YouTube

What is Cybernetics? Conference by Stafford Beer
What is Cybernetics? Conference by Stafford Beer – YouTube

Pretty sure I’ve seen this before so I’ve probably shared it, but I am not good at searching today so didn’t find it…

xprios 4:39 am on January 24, 2022

Since the work of S. Beer is so essential for the systems thinking community, I consider that it may be of interest to have the information that I am enclosing concerning his very last speech.

When he came to Valladolid (Spain), he was already very sick, and in fact, after returning to the UK, he got worse and died some months later.
It is impressive that he titled his last speech “What is cybernetics?”
Sounds like a goodbye.

I include some information about the origin of this last writing (speech) of S. Beer:

In 2001 I proposed to my university (Universidad de Valladolid, Spain) to invest Stafford Beer as Dr. Honoris Causa by this university. The process is a rigorous sequence of approvals of various levels (department, Center, Vice-Presidency, University government, etc.). It was accepted, and Beer was invested as Dr. HC on the 26 of October 2001.
It is required that the new Doctor pronounces a speech to the whole University community in a very pompous ceremony. The audience is the entire university community, so all science disciplines are represented.

Stafford asked me: “Jose: what do I talk about that may be of interest to such a varied group of people?
My answer was: Why don’t you say what is cybernetics?

That is because most people associate cybernetics with technology (electronics, robotics, the Internet, etc.). And also, it would be an excellent occasion to let the general people know the deep meaning of “cybernetics.”

The result is that Stafford decided to put that question in the very title of his speech:
“WHAT IS CYBERNETICS?”

The book published by the University of Valladolid in 2001 includes the text of the speech (“What is cybernetics”) of the new Dr. HC (S. Beer) and the Laudation made by his “Godfather” (J. Perez Rios).

The English version of the “Laudation” is included in the book:
“Design and Diagnosis for Sustainable Organisations. The Viable System Method” Springer, 2012.
- antlerboy - Benjamin P Taylor 6:05 am on January 24, 2022
  
  Thanks so much for sharing this here! And sorry I haven’t had time to come back to you on your very generous email – it’s great to get this out much more widely 🙂

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

s: search
c: compose new post
r: reply
e: edit
t: go to top
j: go to the next post or comment
k: go to the previous post or comment
o: toggle comment visibility
esc: cancel edit post or comment

%d bloggers like this: