Fundamental Insights into Holonic Systems Design

Abstract

This paper goes back to the origins of the Holonic Systems concept, a wording coined by Arthur Köstler [1] but actually based on fundamental insights from Nobel Prize winner Herbert Simon [2]. Simon’s theme is limited rationality and its implications for the ability to create and sustain sophisticated artifacts in the dynamic and demanding environments that are characteristic for today’s society. Holonic and multi-agent systems are amongst the most complex artifacts emanating from deliberate human design and development activities. Therefore, this paper presents these fundamental insights from Simon, augmented with more recent research results on complex adaptive systems [3], and discusses implications for the design of Holonic Multi-Agent Systems. In particular, the development of subsystems (holons) suited for incorporation into larger systems, at some later stage and without knowing these larger systems in much detail, is at the center of the discussions in this paper.