Del arte combinatorio a la teoría general: apuntes para una historia del sistema

Abstract

This article analyzes the evolution of three central perspectives of the concept of system: the system as an essential image of reality, the heuristic value of macro concepts and the search for the unity of sciences. In the convergence of these topics we examine the systemic formalization of konwledge and the relative nature of its opposition vis-ii-vis the dominant analytic posture in scientific research. The study of historical turning points and their connection with contemporary themes in epistemology sustains the hypothesis of the multifaceted persistence of the system beyond the dissimilitude among its formulations.