J.G.Bennett

[Hotaka]

Has anyone heard of J.G. Bennett and his qualitative approach to numbers? He is the founder of systematics, something I found in a book on a bookshelf in a second-hand store, which is the study of numbers as qualitative entities. Numbers can be used to study systems and each system of terms (depends how many there are in the number) has unique characteristics as a whole and to the relationship between different terms each unique in their own way within the system, which is self existing of course. So this can be used as a spiritual practice to break down or rebuild yourself, and it can also be a tool or system or framework to see the world more clearly, almost scientifically, but based on perception and knowledge inside intuition. This differs considerably to a scientific approach with no analogous abstractions of systems as mutually relevant wholes.

I think this gives a good overview http://www.bahaistudies.net/asma/jgbennett.pdf http://www.decisionintegrity.co.uk/DIL Qualitative Systems Thinking = Hodgson.pdf

[Hotaka]

Keywords: general systematics, appreciative systems, inquiry systems, isomorphism, complexity, connectedness, science of qualities, socio-technical messes, cross-disciplinary, n-term systems, monad, dyad, tetrad, pentad, hexad, septad, octad, sustainability, viable systems, sustainable democracy.

(From second article)

[Hotaka]

"A common characteristic of these varied techniques is the recognition that structure is a primary element of experience and not something that is added by the mind. In this respect it can be said that the techniques of understanding call for a drastic revision of the usual modes of thought that treat being and understanding as independent or at least as separable from one another." - J.G.Bennett

[Bill Eichman]

When I think of John Bennett I think of G.I. Gurdjieff and Idries Shah.

Bennet was an expansive guy, who wrote many books.

I've read that second article you posted before. I would describe it as a kind of mystical numerology that Bennett is trying to fuse with General Systems Theory. Some of the ideas that he suggests - that processes can be viewed as being describable with a kind of geometric, structural, or pattern mathematics - seem possible, but, when you look at how people seem to apply his ideas, it mostly looks like numerology.

The real ideas of General Systems Theory are interesting enough that they don't need the ideas of monad, dyad, tetrad, etc added to them

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_G._Bennett

[Hotaka]

Table 1 - A Brief Overview of the First Eight Systems
SYSTEM NAME Appreciative quality Coherence Attribute
1-term MONAD Totality without distinction of parts Universality
2-term DYAD Difference without degrees Complementarity
3-term TRIAD Relatedness without relativity Dynamism
4-term TETRAD Structured activity with relatedness and order Field of action
5-term PENTAD Internal and external potentiality Significance
6-term HEXAD Multiple event manifestation around an identity Coalescence
7-term HEPTAD Integrity of levels and transformations Emergent structure
8-term OCTAD Fulfillment of potential in realisation Completedness