This document discusses the work of Robert Rosen and George Lakoff on complexity theory and causality in complex systems. Rosen developed relational models to represent organisms as complex systems with multiple, intertwined causal relationships rather than direct causation. Lakoff analyzed how direct and systemic causality frame different worldviews. Together they show how reductionist science relies on direct causality, as does radical conservatism, while complexity science and progressive thinking incorporate systemic causality.

1. ROBERT ROSEN AND GEORGE LAKOFF: THE ROLE OF CAUSALITY IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS Donald C Mikulecky Professor emeritus and Senior Fellow in the VCU Center for the Study of Biological Complexity http://www.people.vcu.edu/~mikuleck/

7. THE MODELING RELATION: A MODEL OF HOW WE MAKE MODELS, A SCIENCE OF FRAMING NATURAL SYSTEM FORMAL SYSTEM NATURAL SYSTEM FORMAL SYSTEM ENCODING DECODING CAUSAL EVENT MANIPULATION

8. WE HAVE A USEFUL MODEL WHEN AND ARE SATISFACTORY WAYS OF “UNDERSTANDING” THE CHANGE IN THE WORLD “OUT THERE”

9. THE MODELING RELATION: A MODEL OF HOW WE MAKE MODELS NATURAL SYSTEM FORMAL SYSTEM NATURAL SYSTEM FORMAL SYSTEM ENCODING DECODING CAUSAL EVENT IMPLICATION

14. WHAT “TRADITIONAL SCIENCE” DID TO FRAME THE MODELING RELATION NATURAL SYSTEM FORMAL SYSTEM NATURAL SYSTEM FORMAL SYSTEM CAUSAL EVENT MANIPULATION

15. WHAT “TRADITIONAL SCIENCE” DID TO FRAME THE MODELING RELATION NATURAL SYSTEM FORMAL SYSTEM NATURAL SYSTEM FORMAL SYSTEM MANIPULATION

21. SELF-REFERENCE, CIRCULARITY AND THE GENOME DNA ENZYMES PROTEINS REPLICATION TRANSCRIPTION

22. HOMEOSTASIS CELLS TISSUES AND ORGANS MILLEU FOR CELLS, TISSUES AND ORGANS

26. The Mexican sierra [fish] has "XVII-15-IX" spines in the dorsal fin. These can easily be counted ... We could, if we wished, describe the sierra thus: "D. XVII-15-IX; A. II-15-IX," but we could see the fish alive and swimming, feel it plunge against the lines, drag it threshing over the rail, and even finally eat it. And there is no reason why either approach should be inaccurate. Spine-count description need not suffer because another approach is also used. Perhaps, out of the two approaches we thought there might emerge a picture more complete and even more accurate that either alone could produce. -- John Steinbeck, novelist, with Edward Ricketts, marine biologist (1941)

39. ROSEN’S RELATIONAL MODEL OF THE ORGANISM f A B 

40. ROSEN’S RELATIONAL MODEL OF THE ORGANISM f  A B 

41. ROSEN’S RELATIONAL MODEL OF THE ORGANISM f A B 

42. ROSEN’S RELATIONAL MODEL OF THE ORGANISM f A B 