Sustainability Principles Online Dialogue

" Fuller's work applies in the metaphors to social structures."

I feel this is applicable - in Grunch and Operating Manual he explained social and economic behaviour as a natural system. In Cosmography, he explained that a sphere defines two volumes - that which is within the sphere and that which is not. I see this relates to how people behave - everybody lives in their own little bubble but some people can not sense what is outside that bubble.

Similarly - " A body remains at rest ( or in motion ) until acted upon by a force " can equally apply to a thought or a flow of wealth.

Indeed, the tetrahedron could be seen as a model of minimum thought necessary to define a volume of knowledge. Four perspectives on an issue to have a stable understanding of the matter ?

IMO yes,

Design can be applied to systems as well as physical endeavours.

I have tried to implement a system of financial reporting in local government to help make local government expenditure relevant to the community that funds that local government. As a Shire Councillor, and an architect, I designed a system of financial reporting based on the system of accountability used in the building industry. This is an example of design science applied to systems. The goal was to implement a system that everbody ( particularly those not brainwashed by modern management paradigms ) could relate to, and therefore everybody can scutinize how effectively communal funds are applied. At the moment everybody relies on those expert in the use of computer software, rather those that know how to responsibly manage other people's funds, to account for the product of the expenditure. 98% of Shire Councillor in Western Australia vote to accept monthly financial reports that they do not understand, but are too proud to declare that the current financial reporting system does not show " progress versus expenditure " ( the system only shows a flow of funds and does not show what is actually achieved by that expenditure ). The social benefit of a proper financial reporting system is that the average citizen can then take more interest in how their money is spent - rather than the current system that requires faith in the computer software operator currently driving the programme.

After 3 years of trying, I have not yet succeeded in getting a relevant accounting system adopted by the local goverment. I rely on two of Bucky's 19 self disciplines to not give up trying - those particular disciplines being :

1. Seek to reform the environment, not the humans. and
2. Seek to develop artifacts ( or systems ) with ample anticipatory time margins so that they will be ready for use by society when society discovers - through evolutionary emergencies - a need for them.

So Dick, on this basis, I must challenge your statement regarding " Science-Technology-Economics-Politics Sequence ... He meant: Discover universal principle, invent practical application(s), commercialize it, force society to adapt." Bucky was not into " force " - he relied on need rather than coercion for society to adopt sustainable behaviour.

The current behaviour of western civilization tends to suggest that the only " evolutionary emergency " that our civilisation will respond to is oblivion ! Utopia is associated with the drug crazed idealism of the 60's rather than the modern realities of short term economic rationalism.

Bucky may have written his last words over 23 years ago, but what he has left us with is the tools necessary to achieve utopia for ALL life on earth - it is still up to us ( modern civilisation ) to apply those tools for unselfish livingry.