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Overview | Creative Systems Theory

Creative Systems Theory presents a comprehensive framework for understanding change, purpose, and interrelationship in human systems with special pertinence to making sense of the times in which we live and the challenges before us. It is significant both for the practical usefulness of its ideas and for the fact that it represents the kind of conceptual perspective that will be increasingly essential in times ahead.

We can think of CST’s importance as having three layers. First it represents a practical set of tools for thinking systemically about human process. Its unique perspective helps us answer all kinds of questions difficult to address, or to address with adequate subtlety with more conventional formulations.

The second layer of importance pertains more specifically to the times in which we live. CST provides big-picture perspective for making sense of our time. The concept of Cultural Maturity is a specific notion within Creative Systems Theory. The concept of Culturla Maturity articulates a simple, yet not simplistic “guiding story” for our time, one that helps us get beyond conflicting ideologies. Creative Systems Theory goes on to provide detailed perspective for understanding what today we see around us, for developing good future policy, and for identifying where our formulations may fall short.

The third kind of importance concerns the kind of understanding that CST represents. CST argues that our times defining challenges require not just new ideas, but fundamentally new kinds of ideas. Culturally mature conception.requries a fullness and complexity of thought not before needed—or possible. Such conception is new in that it is more systemic than conventional thought, and thus better able to capture nuance and interrelationship. It is also better able to honor the living dynamism of human experience. CST makes the argument for such new ways of thinking—both why they are needed and what they entail. And it itself succeeds as Culturally Mature conception. Just how it does provides both overarching perspective and the capacity to make detailed culturally mature discernments.

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Overview | Creative Systems Theory