Albert Einstein, in “Ideas and Opinions” wrote that "A human being is part of the Whole...He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest...a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us.” He went on and added that, “Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.” (1954). He is clearly pointing out that we, as human beings should not restrict and isolate ourselves within our comfort zone. Einstein compares this scenario as equal to self-imprisonment. If we analyze the next paragraph on system theory by Bertalanffy, we will be able to understand that his primary goal on the application of the system theory is to achieve a view of the whole world as a great civilization.
The system theory, as propounded by Bertalanffy, was to achieve a general perspective; a coherent view of the “world as a great civilization,” a framework in which all disciplines could be understood in their place. As an interdisciplinary area of study, the system theory deals primarily with properties of systems as a whole, and it focuses on organizations and the interdependence of existing relationships. System theory has been also integrated into other areas of study such as sociology, and in recent years, it has been developed to provide techniques for studying systems in holistic ways to supplement traditional methods. System theory has been considered simply as a humanistic extension of the natural sciences. Bertalanffy (1981) believes that the field of science, speaking in the way of oversimplification, consists of three majors levels which are: (a) physical nature, (b) organisms, and (c) human behaviors. (p. 16). He also added that, “The fact that man lives in a universe, not of things, but of symbolic stand-ins for things, indicates the difference between biological “values” and specifically human values… these symbolic universes may be adaptive and utilitarian in biological sense, as when technology allows man to control nature.” (p. 17).
System Thinking
After careful analyzes of “A Systems View of Man” by Bertalanffy (1981) and “Ideas and Opinions” by Einstein (1954), I analyzed the system thinking as presented by Thornton, Peltier, and Perreault, (2004) about educators and their understanding about schools as complex interdependent social system. They emphasized that with that kind of knowledge, it is possible to move the institution forward. Without these kinds of understanding, they will have little or no progress at all, and they can only address the symptoms and not the root of the problems. They suggest that the leadership should see the entire system as a complex organization with many interdependent components and examine how schools can avoid the barriers to system thinking regarding student achievement. It gives examples of failed educational programs that have been systematically used by veteran teachers. They try to implement them as new programs, but if checked carefully, one will be able to identify their long historical record. This is an example of non-systems thinking. As educators, it is important to avoid creating short-term solutions such as teaching to the test or test taking skills that are ineffective against long-term solutions. It shows that, when systems thinking becomes an integral part of the instructional process, the benefits of the systems thinking as a method for improving student achievement will be enormous” (pp. 222)
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