Michael C Jackson - Collected Quotes

"The classification of a system as complex or simple will depend upon the observer of the system and upon the purpose he has for considering the system." (Mike Jackson, "Towards a System of Systems Methodologies", 1984)

"The problem solver needs to stand back and examine problem contexts in the light of different 'Ws' (Weltanschauungen). Perhaps he can then decide which 'W' seems to capture the essence of the particular problem context he is faced with. This whole process needs formalizing if it is to be carried out successfully. The problem solver needs to be aware of different paradigms in the social sciences, and he must be prepared to view the problem context through each of these paradigms." (Michael C Jackson, "Towards a System of Systems Methodologies", 1984)

"In the modern systems approach, the concept 'system' is used not to refer to things in the world but to a particular way of organising our thoughts about the world." (Michael C Jackson, "Creative Problem Solving: Total Systems Intervention", 1991)

"We consider the notion of ‘system’ as an organising concept, before going on to look in detail at various systemic metaphors that may be used as a basis for structuring thinking about organisations and problem situations." (Michael C Jackson, "Creative Problem Solving: Total Systems Intervention", 1991)

"There exists an alternative to reductionism for studying systems. This alternative is known as holism. Holism considers systems to be more than the sum of their parts. It is of course interested in the parts and particularly the networks of relationships between the parts, but primarily in terms of how they give rise to and sustain in existence the new entity that is the whole whether it be a river system, an automobile, a philosophical system or a quality system." (Michael C Jackson, "Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for Managers", 2003)

"The traditional, scientific method for studying such systems is known as reductionism. Reductionism sees the parts as paramount and seeks to identify the parts, understand the parts and work up from an understanding of the parts to an understanding of the whole. The problem with this is that the whole often seems to take on a form that is not recognizable from the parts. The whole emerges from the interactions between the parts, which affect each other through complex networks of relationships. Once it has emerged, it is the whole that seems to give meaning to the parts and their interactions." (Michael C Jackson, "Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for Managers", 2003)

"Images are generally resistant to change and ignore messages that do not conform to their internal settings. Sometimes, however, they do react and can alter in an incremental or even revolutionary manner. Humans can talk about and share their images and, in the symbolic universe they create, reflect upon what is and what might be." (Michael C Jackson, "Critical Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity", 2019)