Heinz von Foerster Quotes

• Act always so as to increase the number of choices

  Heinz von Foerster

  Numbers, Choices, Increase

  Heinz Von Foerster (1984). “Observing Systems”

  26 Copy quote

• Objectivity is the delusion that observations could be made without an observer.

  Heinz von Foerster

  Objectivity, Made, Observation

  31 Copy quote

• The environment as we perceive it is our invention.

  Heinz von Foerster

  Environment, Invention, Perceive

  Heinz von Foerster (2007). “Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition”, p.212, Springer Science & Business Media

  12 Copy quote

• If you desire to see, learn how to act.

  Heinz von Foerster

  Vision, Desire, Seeing

  Heinz Von Foerster (1984). “Observing Systems”

  27 Copy quote

• First-order cybernetics is the science of observed systems; Second-order cybernetics is the science of observing systems.

  Heinz von Foerster

  Order, Cybernetics, Firsts

  55 Copy quote

• Hard sciences are successful because they deal with the soft problems; soft sciences are struggling because they deal with the hard problems.

  Heinz von Foerster

  Struggle, Successful, Problem

  Heinz von Foerster (2007). “Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition”, p.191, Springer Science & Business Media

  31 Copy quote

• Something that cannot be explained cannot be seen.

  Heinz von Foerster

  Heinz von Foerster (2007). “Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition”, p.284, Springer Science & Business Media

  15 Copy quote

• Objectivity is a subject's delusion that observing can be done without him.

  Heinz von Foerster

  Objectivity, Done, Insight

  "The Certainty of Uncertainty: Dialogues Introducing Constructivis" by Bernhard Poerksen, (p. 3), 2004.

  26 Copy quote

• What we need now is the description of the "describer" or, in other words, we need a theory of the observer.

  Heinz von Foerster

  Needs, Description, Theory

  Heinz von Foerster (2007). “Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition”, p.247, Springer Science & Business Media

  18 Copy quote

• Should one name one central concept, a first principle, of cybernetics, it would be circularity.

  Heinz von Foerster

  Names, Principles, Circularity

  12 Copy quote

• Either Stone Age man was a technological wizard, who carefully removed his technological achievements so as not to upset his inferior progeny, or our population dwindled from a once astronomical size to the mere three billions of today.

  Heinz von Foerster

  Men, Upset, Age

  "Population Density and Growth". "Science", Vol 133, June 16, 1961.

  12 Copy quote

• Cybernetics is NOT the banana.

  Heinz von Foerster

  Cybernetics, Bananas

  19 Copy quote

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