A Systems View of Man
| By: | Ludwig von Bertalanffy |
| Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
| Print ISBN: | 9780367168346 |
| eText ISBN: | 9780429724237 |
| Edition: | 1 |
| Copyright: | 1981 |
| Format: | Reflowable |
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What does it mean to be human? What distinguishes man from other animals? “Man’s creation of the universe of symbols,†replies Ludwig von Bertalanffy. “Man lives in a world not of things, but of symbols.†Dr. von Bertalanffy explores the historical development of symbolic language, examines the nature of human values, and shows how a current breakdown of symbolic universes contributes to the feeling of meaninglessness so prevalent in modern society. He notes that a major portion of mankind’s aggressive acts are not biologically induced but arise within symbolic frameworks.