The purpose of a system is what it does

January 2009

• Jan 24
  Bricoleur

  

  The purpose of a system is what it does - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  Stafford Beer coined the term POSIWID and used it many times in public addresses. Perhaps most forcefully in his address to the University of Valladolid, Spain in October 2001, he said "According to the cybernetician the purpose of a system is what it does. This is a basic dictum. It stands for bald fact, which makes a better starting point in seeking understanding than the familiar attributions of good intention, prejudices about expectations, moral judgment or sheer ignorance of circumstances."[1]

  Anthony Stafford Beer; Cybernetics; POSIWID; The purpose of a system is what it does. [1 person]