Living systems theory and an entity‐systems approach

Abstract

The process‐structure approach of Living Systems Theory (LST) provides a more robust explanation of life than did the earlier explanations based on the concept of sense‐response. Three aspects of LST, however, provide less robust explanations than those that generally characterize the theory. They are the concept of dispersed critical sub‐systems, the relative neglect of emergence and the neglect of the pervasive influence of conceptual systems on LST defined information systems. This paper suggests an entity‐systems approach that may strengthen those aspects of the theory of life systems. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.