Part 1 of 2, How a so-called “flat” organisation handles complexity better than most hierarchies
https://synexia.substack.com/p/the-hierarchy-of-work-is-inescapable
Nov 30, 2025
https://synexia.substack.com/p/the-hierarchy-of-work-is-inescapable
Recent Updates Page 2
Job alert – Systems research scientist, DEFRA, deadline 12 December 2025 – UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, salary £43-50k (top end only in London), based Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, York, flex/part time etc possible
Details
Reference number
437950
Salary
£42,665 – £50,495
National: £42,665-£46,765
London:£46,060-£50,495
For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Job grade
Senior Executive Officer
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
DEFRA – S&A – Science & Analysis
Type of role
Analytical
Science
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
Location
Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, York
About the job
Polycrisis: Root Causes and Governance Solutions – Hamalainen (2025)
[This is the preprint version as it’s accessible]
18 Nov 2025
Timo Hamalainen
SITRA – Finnish Innovation Fund
Date Written: August 28, 2025
Abstract
The current polycrisis creates fundamental anxiety and uncertainty in societies. Individuals, organizations, governments and multinational institutions are struggling with the increasingly complex and uncertain environment without a clear vision of how to govern or renew their institutions. This paper analyzes the root causes of polycrisis and provides a framework for adaptive governance at different levels of society. The framework is based on the Law of Requisite Variety and shared transformative learning processes. It provides governance principles for social innovators who develop sustainable governance solutions for the future. These principles are elaborated with a case study on the Brainport-Eindhoven innovation ecosystem.
Keywords: Complexity, Polycrisis, Governance, Cybernetics, Learning
Suggested Citation:
Hamalainen, Timo, Polycrisis: Root Causes and Governance Solutions (August 28, 2025). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5742823 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5742823
Survey of Theme One Program • 7
This is a Survey of resources relating to the Theme One Program I worked on all through the 1980s. The aim was to develop fundamental algorithms and data structures for integrating empirical learning with logical reasoning. I had earlier developed separate programs for basic components of those tasks, in particular, two‑level formal language learning and propositional constraint satisfaction, the latter using an extension of C.S. Peirce’s logical graphs as a syntax for propositional logic. Thus arose the question of how well it might be possible to get “empiricist” and “rationalist” modes of operation to cooperate. The long‑term vision is the implementation of an Automated Research Tool able to double as a platform for Inquiry Driven Education.
Wiki Hub
Documentation
- Theme One Program • Pascal Source Code
- Theme One Program • User Guide
- Theme One Program • Exposition
Blog Series
- Theme One Program
Blog Dialogs
- Theme One • A Program Of Inquiry • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11) • (12) • (13) • (14) • (15) • (16) • (17) • (18) • (19) • (20)
Applications
- Applications of a Propositional Calculator • Constraint Satisfaction Problems
- Exploratory Qualitative Analysis of Sequential Observation Data
References
- Awbrey, S.M., and Awbrey, J.L. (May 1991), “An Architecture for Inquiry • Building Computer Platforms for Discovery”, Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Technology and Education, Toronto, Canada, pp. 874–875. Online.
- Awbrey, J.L., and Awbrey, S.M. (January 1991), “Exploring Research Data Interactively • Developing a Computer Architecture for Inquiry”, Poster presented at the Annual Sigma Xi Research Forum, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
- Awbrey, J.L., and Awbrey, S.M. (August 1990), “Exploring Research Data Interactively • Theme One : A Program of Inquiry”, Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Conference on Applications of Artificial Intelligence and CD-ROM in Education and Training, Society for Applied Learning Technology, Washington, DC, pp. 9–15. Online.
cc: FB | Theme One Program • Laws of Form • Mathstodon • Academia.edu
cc: Conceptual Graphs • Cybernetics • Structural Modeling • Systems Science
2026 Conference: Systems Thinking and Systems Practice – 24-26/3/2026, University of Hull – full website up, booking open, call for abstracts (talk proposals)
24–26 March 2026 | University of Hull
Hosted by the University of Hull Centre for Systems Studies (CSS),
Systems and Complexity in Organisation (SCiO) and The OR Society
Call for abstracts
This conference aims to do things differently, bringing together in lively debate systems academics and public and private sector systems practitioners. We’re looking for 250-word proposals for:
Introductory training sessions for the systems curious
Interactive workshops using systems thinking to address real-life predicaments
Case studies showing systems thinking in practice
Papers advancing systems theory and systems methodologies
Poster presentations demonstrating systems thinking in practice
No matter your level of experience, you’ll find sessions that challenge, inspire, and connect you to a vibrant systems community.
Preference will be given to proposals that bring together theory and practice in innovative and engaging ways suitable for a conference that combines researchers and practitioners of varying levels of experience.
Please submit via email to Systems.Conference@hull.ac.uk:
Name
Affiliation
250 Word abstract
Deadline: 12th December 2025
Call for Abstracts: Laws of Form 2026 Conference (LoF26), University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education 10-14 August 2026
From Randolph Dible:
University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education
Monday 10 August – Friday 14 August 2026
184 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 8PQ, United Kingdom
https://lof50.com
About the Conference
Submissions for papers, panel sessions, interactive presentations, workshops, performance sessions, and creative contributions inspired by George Spencer-Brown’s work and life are now open for the Laws of Form 2026 Conference (LoF26).
Following LoF50 (2019), LoF22 (2022), and LoF24 (2024), this fourth gathering continues to expand the Laws of Form community of inquiry — bringing together thinkers, scholars, artists, scientists, engineers, and explorers from around the world.
LoF26 will take place from Monday 10 August to Friday 14 August 2026 at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. There is no charge to attend, thanks to the generous support of the Faculty and the University. The conference is organised by the Spencer-Brown Society and by West Den Haag (https://www.westdenhaag.nl).
Conference Focus
In addition to celebrating Laws of Form (1969), LoF26 invites explorations of Spencer-Brown’s broader legacy — including the calculus of indications, logic, language, consciousness, enlightenment, and the philosophical, mathematical, artistic, and scientific trajectories that have emerged from his work.
We particularly encourage contributions that engage with themes such as:
• Distinction, indication, form, and the unmarked state
• Mathematics, logic, systems theory, and cybernetics
• Poetry, literature, story and story structure
• Music, theatre, the arts
• Phenomenology, ontology, and metaphysics
• Physics, cosmology, geometry, topology
• Autopoiesis, cognition, and self-reference
• Theology, mysticism, and enlightenment
• Sociology, social systems, systems theory
• Creative and performative explorations of “form” and “distinction”
• Technological, computational, and interactive applications of LoF principles
Submissions may include theoretical, experimental, or creative work, and we welcome proposals that bridge disciplinary and stylistic boundaries.
Submission Guidelines
Please submit an extended abstract (up to 300 words). Include:
• Title
• Name(s), affiliation(s), and contact email(s)
• Preferred format (paper, panel, workshop, creative, etc.)
• Short biographical note (150 words or fewer)
• Any AV, technical, or access requirements
Send submissions as a single PDF to:
conferences@lof50.com
Subject line: LoF26 Submission – [Your Name]
Important Dates
• Submission deadline: Friday 20 February 2026
• Notification of acceptance: Friday 27 March 2026
• Conference dates: Monday 10 – Friday 14 August 2026
Format and Participation
Remote / video presentations will be available for those unable to attend in person. Presentations will be recorded and made available online courtesy of West Den Haag.
As with previous conferences, contributions may be considered for publication in Distinction: Journal of Form (College Publications Ltd) or in future volumes of the Society’s Marked States series.
Social and Cultural Events
Optional activities will include:
• Punting on the River Cam
• Evensong at King’s College Chapel
• Visit to The Eagle pub, where Crick and Watson announced the “secret of life”
Additional Opportunities
The Unknown Storyteller Award
For information on this annual £100 award for a high-quality paper submitted for publication to Distinction: Journal of Form, applying the story structure methodology outlined in Leon Conrad’s Story and Structure (2022), visit:
https://www.lof50.com/award
Support and Donations
The Laws of Form Conferences are entirely donation-based and free to attend, made possible through the generosity of sponsors, host organisations, and individual supporters.
To support the conference and its ongoing work, please visit:
https://lof50.com
Join the Spencer-Brown Society
Membership is open to all and free of charge. To join and receive updates, please visit:
https://lof50.com
Contact
For all submissions and inquiries:
conferences@lof50.com
Sincerely,
Randolph Dible,
Communications Director, Spencer-Brown Society
Survey of Precursors Of Category Theory • 6
A few years ago I began a sketch on the “Precursors of Category Theory”, tracing the continuities of the category concept from Aristotle, to Kant and Peirce, through Hilbert and Ackermann, to contemporary mathematical practice. A Survey of resources on the topic is given below, still very rough and incomplete, but perhaps a few will find it of use.
Background
Blog Series
Categories à la Peirce
- Peirce’s Categories • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11) • (12) • (13) • (14) • (15) • (16) • (17) • (18) • (19) • (20) • (21)
cc: FB | Peirce Matters • Laws of Form • Mathstodon • Ontolog • Academia.edu
cc: Conceptual Graphs • Cybernetics • Structural Modeling • Systems Science
Job/collaboration opportunity – Scotland’s Digital Inclusion Alliance (DIA) – cross‑sector initiative addressing digital exclusion through systems change.
[
What’s offered: Role/s to help shape governance, strategy and delivery of the DIA’s model (levers of investment, policy, regulation, convening power) rather than one‑off fixes.
Why it matters: Digital exclusion is framed as a systemic inequality – rooted in design, structure and relationships – so this role invites systems thinkers, change practitioners and network builders to operate at the interface of structural change.
]
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/curious-scotlands-digital-inclusion-alliance-dia-fiona-colligan-8qhpe/?trackingId=7oN%2FYhVSQf6EggJnpPG0cg%3D%3D
Why we need to quit ‘fixing’ the world: A cybernetic approach to planetary challenges – podcast/video with Nora Bateson and Hans Busstra
Sean Manion on LinkedIn – key pre-cybernetic paperThe Logical Structure of Mind: An Inquiry into the Philosophical Foundation of Psychology & Psychiatry, von Domarus (1934) – and talk Dec 4 at Duquesne University
Please go to LinkedIn link to comment/respond and see the von Domarus dissertation with McCullock intro
A key piece of cybernetics pre-history from the early 1930s.
“I know of no other text that so clearly sets forth the notions needed for an understanding of psychology, psychiatry and finite automata.” – McCulloch
A decade before writing the first artificial neural network paper with Walter Pitts (“A Logical Calculus of the Ideas Immanent in Nervous Activity”, 1943), Warren McCulloch helped his friend and colleague finish and translate a dissertation in 1932 which McCulloch later noted, “… without which I would never have come to a definition of thinking that fits cybernetics.”
Eilhard von Domarus’ thesis, “The Logical Structure of Mind: An Inquiry into the Philosophical Foundation of Psychology & Psychiatry” (1934) doesn’t get the attention many other early manuscripts do wrt influencing machine intelligence. I’ve seen it only occasionally mentioned and not really covered in detail over the last several years as I have been diving into this history.
Having recently found gotten this republication of it with “belated introduction” by McCulloch (entitled “Lekton” which refers to “sense of meaning” in syllogistic logic), I think it should be read and shared more widely with those interested in these topics. It is a fun read.
Enjoy!
(h/t to the Duquesne library staff member who tracked this down for me on the NASA Technical Reports Server)
I’ll be touching on this and much more history (and future) in my upcoming talk, “Cybernetics, Phenomenology & Teleology” on Dec 4th at Duquesne University’s Simon Silverman Phenomenology Center, 4-6pm.
Continual new posts on the Scybernethics blog
[I never have time to read these but some do look very interesting]
Latest Posts (newest to oldest)
- Scybernethics: Blueprints for Collective Autonomy and Digital Democracy
- Power, Care and Democratic Enaction – A Scybernethics Proposal
- AI, Vulnerability, and Human Relationships
- AI, Enactment, and Democratic Self-Governance
- Epistemology of Modeling, Cognition, and Self-Understanding
- Your Mind Isn’t What You Think It Is: 4 Revelations from the Frontiers of Cognitive Science
Survey of Animated Logical Graphs • 8
This is a Survey of blog and wiki posts on Logical Graphs, encompassing several families of graph‑theoretic structures originally developed by Charles S. Peirce as graphical formal languages or visual styles of syntax amenable to interpretation for logical applications.
Beginnings
- Logical Graphs • First Impressions
- Blog Series • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11) • (12) • (13) • (14)
- Logical Graphs • Formal Development
Elements
- Logic Syllabus
- Logical Graphs
- Cactus Language
- Minimal Negation Operators
- Propositional Equation Reasoning Systems
Examples
- Peirce’s Law
- Praeclarum Theorema
- Proof Animations
Blog Series
- Animated Logical Graphs • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11) • (12) • (13) • (14) • (15) • (16) • (17) • (18) • (19) • (20) • (21) • (22) • (23) • (24) • (25) • (26) • (27) • (28) • (29) • (30) • (31) • (32) • (33) • (34) • (35) • (36) • (37) • (38) • (39) • (40) • (41) • (42) • (43) • (44) • (45) • (46) • (47) • (48) • (49) • (50) • (51) • (52) • (53) • (54) • (55) • (56) • (57) • (58) • (59) • (60) • (61) • (62) • (63) • (64) • (65) • (66) • (67) • (68) • (69) • (70) • (71) • (72) • (73) • (74) • (75) • (76) • (77) • (78) • (79) • (80) • (81)
- Cactus Language
- Overview • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4)
- Preliminaries • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11) • (12) • (13) • (14) • (15) • (16) • (17)
- Syntax • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11) • (12)
- Generalities About Formal Grammars • (1) • (2) • (3)
- Stylistics • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6)
- Pragmatics • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11) • (12) • (13) • (14) • (15) • (16)
- Mechanics • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5)
- Semantics • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8)
- Discussions • (1) • (2) • (3)
Excursions
- Futures Of Logical Graphs
- Operator Variables in Logical Graphs • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11) • (12)
- Interpretive Duality in Logical Graphs • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8)
- Mathematical Duality in Logical Graphs • (1)
- Transformations of Logical Graphs • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11) • (12) • (13) • (14)
- Discussions • (1)
Applications
- Applications of a Propositional Calculator • Constraint Satisfaction Problems
- Exploratory Qualitative Analysis of Sequential Observation Data
- Differential Analytic Turing Automata
- Survey of Theme One Program
Anamnesis
- CSP, GSB, & Me • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11) • (12) • (13) • (14) • (15) • (16) • (17) • (18) • (19) • (20)
cc: FB | Logical Graphs • Laws of Form • Mathstodon • Ontolog • Academia.edu
cc: Conceptual Graphs • Cybernetics • Structural Modeling • Systems Science
Transduction – leading transformation – Issue #200
My weekly posts
Philip John Taylor, 1944-2025
My dad died last week, quite peacefully, after a long period of Alzheimer’s. We had had time to prepare (’anticipatory grief’, the social worker accurately diagnosed), and close family were all able to spend time with him in hospital. But of course it is never easy.
I wrote about him here, four years ago, when his memory was already bad, but at a time when he would not have been happy to acknowledge or have me say he had dementia – still, it was a sort of tribute. It also struck me how much we had in common, in ways I had rather conveniently not focused on, happy in my uniqueness 🙂
Post | LinkedIn
What would you do if you were waiting for an announcement in the spring or summer that would mean you *had* to turn your organisational world upside-down by next April?
Many councils have now hit ‘submit’ on their Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) proposals – or are about to. Now comes the awkward middle act: the long wait for a ministerial decision.
This is when confidence wobbles, readiness drifts, and the temptation grows to ‘wait and see’.
But this time counts. The councils that use it well – to test readiness, strengthen relationships, and line up the practical, no-regrets work (and, honestly, secure the support they need – where do you think you’re going to get a programme manager come April?) – will be the ones that hit the ground running when the decision lands.
That’s why we’ve designed a short Learning and Doing Series.
Not webinars or talking shops: each session mixes reflection with action, helping Members, officers, and partners stay aligned, visible, and credible through transition – ready to do the nearly impossible, and deliver post-Ministerial decision.
You’ll leave with real outputs – readiness heatmaps, assurance frameworks, shared leadership roadmaps – not just notes and good intentions.
Post | LinkedIn
Courses and events
Introducing the RedQuadrant Local Government Reorganisation hub
Local Government Reorganisation is coming fast. By April 2028, every new authority must be safe, legal, and fully operational. That means statutory officers secured, ICT cutovers rehearsed, services live, and residents experiencing seamless continuity. The RedQuadrant LGR Hub is the only model that guarantees readiness while embedding lasting capability. With a single accountable structure, governance at its core, and capability pillars across adults, children’s, SEND, ICT, finance, housing, and place, the Hub ensures no gaps, no surprises. Three outcomes, every time: Safe and legal on day one; Visible assurance and confidence in delivery; Future-ready capacity with transformation built in. Find out more now: https://www.redquadrant.com/lgrhub
Level 7 Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship
The new apprenticeship Leading and Commissioning for Outcomes in Complexity – Convening Systems Change can supercharge your career and transform your organisation. Fully funded Level 7 programme this year only! Real-world impact through applied systems thinking. For commissioners, system leaders, and systems change-makers. Forfurther information, see https://www.publicservicetransformation.org/level-7-apprenticeship-course-leading-and-commissioning-for-outcomes-in-complexity-convening-systems-change-free-webinar-on-20-august-2025-1230pm-uk-time/
Commissioning Compass: systems assessment for change
Our newly launched tool, the Commissioning Compass, helps you to assess your commissioning system and form an action plan for improvement. It’s available for free via our Teachable site – try it now! link.redquadrant.com/commissioningcompass
Next National Commissioning Academy
We’re building our cohort for the next national commissioning academy – our flagship commissioning programme from the PSTA. Register your interest now: https://link.redquadrant.com/nextacademy25
Things I shared on socials:
Waves 2024: Why complexity matters – Nora Bateson and Dave Snowden hosted by Sara Lindeman
This is the Day 1 opening session of Waves Forum for Changemakers 2024 in Helsinki, Finland. In this fireside chat with Nora Bateson, International Bateson Institute, and Dave Snowden, Cynefin Company, hosted by Sara Lindeman, Leapfrog, we explore what changemakers can learn from complexity science to better understand change in complex social systems.
Waves 2024: Why complexity matters
“Kamon”: Japan’s Family Crests
Japanese family crests known as kamon were first used by the aristocracy over a thousand years ago, but over time they were adopted by samurai, merchants, and many others. Today, there are thought to be between 20,000 and 25,000 in use.
“Kamon”: Japan’s Family Crests | Nippon.com
RC51 Sociocybernetics newsletter November 2025
Newsletter
Current Issue – 46 | Nov 2025 (View/Download)
Editor’s Introduction | Satoshi Iguchi
Letter from the President | Saburo Akahori
Essays Related to the 5th ISA Forum in Rabat
Report from the 5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025), Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco | Mugio Umemura
A Welcome Return: Reflections on RC51 at the 5th ISA Forum in Rabat | Andrew Mitchell
Reports and Announcements
Experiences and reflections of the RC51 Open Online Activity 2024 – 2025 | Raija Koskinen & Mikael Kivelä
Announcements
5th ISA Forum of Sociology, Program for sessions hosted by RC51 (Final version)
Please send your contribution for the Newsletter to: rc51newsletter@sociocybernetics.org
Survey of Semiotics, Semiosis, Sign Relations • 6
C.S. Peirce defines logic as “formal semiotic”, using formal to highlight the place of logic as a normative science, over and above the descriptive study of signs and their role in wider fields of play. Understanding logic as Peirce understands it thus requires a companion study of semiotics, semiosis, and sign relations.
What follows is a Survey of blog and wiki resources on the theory of signs, variously known as semeiotic or semiotics, and the actions referred to as semiosis which transform signs among themselves in relation to their objects, all as based on C.S. Peirce’s concept of triadic sign relations.
Elements
Sources
- C.S. Peirce • On the Definition of Logic
- C.S. Peirce • Logic as Semiotic
- C.S. Peirce • Objective Logic
- C.S. Peirce • Algebra of Logic ∫ Philosophy of Notation • (1) • (2)
- C.S. Peirce • Algebra of Logic 1885 • Selections • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4)
Topics
- Interpreter and Interpretant
- Tone, Token, Type
- Discussions • (1)
Blog Series
- Sign Relations • Anthesis • Definition • Signs and Inquiry • Examples • Dyadic Aspects • Denotation • Connotation • Ennotation • Semiotic Equivalence Relations (1) (2)
Blog Dialogs
- Icon Index Symbol • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11) • (12) • (13) • (14) • (15) • (16) • (17) • (18) • (19) • (20)
- Sign Relations, Triadic Relations, Relations • (1) • (2) • (3) • (4) • (5) • (6) • (7) • (8) • (9) • (10) • (11)
Excursions
References
- Awbrey, S.M., and Awbrey, J.L. (2001), “Conceptual Barriers to Creating Integrative Universities”, Organization : The Interdisciplinary Journal of Organization, Theory, and Society 8(2), Sage Publications, London, UK, 269–284. Abstract. Online.
- Awbrey, S.M., and Awbrey, J.L. (September 1999), “Organizations of Learning or Learning Organizations : The Challenge of Creating Integrative Universities for the Next Century”, Second International Conference of the Journal ‘Organization’, Re‑Organizing Knowledge, Trans‑Forming Institutions : Knowing, Knowledge, and the University in the 21st Century, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. Online.
- Awbrey, J.L., and Awbrey, S.M. (1995), “Interpretation as Action : The Risk of Inquiry”, Inquiry : Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines 15(1), 40–52. Archive. Journal. Online (doc) (pdf).
- Awbrey, J.L., and Awbrey, S.M. (1992), “Interpretation as Action : The Risk of Inquiry”, The Eleventh International Human Science Research Conference, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan.
cc: FB | Semeiotics • Laws of Form • Mathstodon • Ontolog • Academia.edu
cc: Conceptual Graphs • Cybernetics • Structural Modeling • Systems Science
Systems Community of Inquiry 
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