Abstract
An exceptional chain of events in science, technology, art and planning took place in Latin America in the 1970s. Does this wonder shed light upon our view of the basic roots of cultural, social and political blooming? This paper intends to adduce evidence on second-order cybernetics processes underlying five outstanding cases in real societies and to disclose the links between democracy and unfettering momentum for freedom and creativity. Namely, Oscar Varsavsky, national projects, styles of development, scientific and technological autonomy; Stefano Varese, cultural and political autonomy of indigenous people; Mario Pedrosa, creation of the Museum of Solidarity in Chile; Stafford Beer, Cybersyn project for cybernetics and self-management in Chile; and Humberto Maturana, concepts of autopoiesis, cognition, language and multiverse. The reasoning counts with the author's direct participation in all cases. The paper sets a similarity worthy of being noticed between Allende’s Unidad Popular in Chile and Pericles’ Golden Age in Greece and outlines why these historic realms albeit far apart have lasting importance and similar historical impetus. Highlights the essential and seminal features of each stream and comes to the conclusion that effective democracy is the necessary condition for participation and creativity. Upsurges in social participation and creativity are neither frequent nor cyclical. Still, such sudden and usually large increase in ingenuity, flair and aim to improve living conditions, although limited in time, remain in our mind as a joy forever. Nowadays, the world witnesses a contrary motion towards sterile art patterns and restrained behaviour. Hence, it becomes even more important to better understand the basic roots of cultural, social and political blooming.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
CENDES – Centro de Estudios del Desarrollo, Universidad Central de Venezuela.
Ley de Comunidades Nativas y de Promoción Agropecuaria de Regiones de Selva y Ceja de Selva.
Coordinadora de las Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca Amazónica is an indigenous organization of international confluence committed to promoting, protecting, and securing the pueblos and indigenous territories through the defense of their forms of life, principles and social, spiritual. and cultural values.
References
Allende S (n.d.) Letter to the artists of the world. Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende, Santiago.
Beer S (1978) Platform for change. Wiley, Bristol
Beer S (1979) An Open Letter to Dr. von Foerster from Stafford Beer. Cybernetics Forum. The Publication of the American Society for Cybernetics. Volume IX (3). A special issue honoring Dr. Heinz von Foerster on the ocasion of his retirement, Washington
Beer S (1981) Brain of the firm. Wiley, London
Calcagno E (1990) Evolution and present situation of styles of development. United Nations Digital Library and CEPAL Review
Cartledge P (2016) Democracy: a life. Oxford University Press, Oxford
De Costa E (2017) The sociopolitical discourse of Violeta Parra and Victor Jara. The culture of people’s power: giving voice to social justice in Chile’s new song movement. In: Onyebadi U Music as a Platform for Political Communication. Texas Christian University, Texas
Drummond de Andrade C (1979) Especulações em Torno da Palavra Homem. In: Carlos Drummond de Andrade Poesia e Prosa. Editora Nova Aguilar, Rio de Janeiro
Espejo R (1980) Cybernetic Praxis in Government: the management of industry in Chile, 1970–1973. Cybern Syst Int J 11(4):325–338
Espejo R (1991) Complexity and change: reflections upon the cybernetic intervention in Chile, 1970–1973. Cybern Syst 22(4):443–457
Goldstein J (2017) Heinz von Foerster and the Second-order Cybernetics. Emergence: complexity and organization, June 30
Hale C (2013) Introduction of Recipient, Stefano Varese. Latin Am Stud Assoc Forum XLIV 3:6–7
Jacovkis P (2006) The first decade of computer science in Argentina. History of Computing and Education 2. IFIP 19th World Computer Congress, WG 9.7, TC9: 181–191, Santiago
Keats J Endymion (1818) https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/first-edition-of-keatss-endymion. Accessed 20 April 2020
Kramer-Mallordy A (2016) Pedrosa, le « vieux lion » - Fragments franco-brésiliens d’une histoire de la critique engagée. Critique d’art 47 Automne/ Hiver
Lettvin J, Maturana H, McCulloch W, Pitts W (1959) What the Frog’s Eye Tells the Frog’s Brain. Proc.Inst. Radio Eng. 47: 1940–1951, New York
Martin D, Rosenhead J (2002) Stafford Beer. The Guardian, September 4, London
Maturana H Wikipedia (2020) The free encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humberto_Maturana. Accessed 20 April 2020
Maturana H (1979) The Wholeness of the Unit: Conversations with Heinz von Foerster. Cybernetics Forum. The Publication of the American Society for Cybernetics Vol. IX (3). A Special Issue Honoring Dr. Heinz von Foester on the Occasion of his Retirement
Maturana H, Varela F (1992) The Tree of Knowledge: the biologival roots of human understanding. Shambhala Publication, Boulder, Colorado
Medina E (2011) Cybernetics Revolutionaries: technology and politics in Allende’s Chile. The MIT Press, London
Neruda, P (1988) Maldición. España en el Corazón. In: Antología Fundamental, Santiago
Past Disquiet: Artists, International Solidarity and Museums in Exile (2019) Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
Pedrosa M (1972) Letter to President Allende. Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende, Santiago
Pedrosa M (1995a) O Modelo Chileno de Socialismo e a Frente das Artes. In: Política das Artes. Editora USP, São Paulo
Pedrosa M (1995b) Arte Culta e Arte Popular. In: Política das Artes. Editora USP, São Paulo
Pedrosa M (2015) Primary documents. The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Pérez de Arce I (2015) The Polyphonic Museum of Salvador Allende. Museo de la Solidaridad. www.guggenheim.org. Accessed 20 April 2020
Poerksen B (2001) The Certainty of Uncertainty. Dialogues Introducing Constructivism. German original first published under the title Die Gewissheit der Ungewissheit. Gespräche zum Konstruktivismus. Carl-Auer-Systeme, Heidelberg
Sperry R (1945) Restoration of vision after crossing of optic nerves and after contralateral transplantation of eye. J Neurophysiol 8:15–28
Sullivan E (2015) Postface to Mario Pedrosa Primary Documents. The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Varese S (1973) La Sal de los Cerros, una Aproximación al Mundo Campa. Retablo de Papel Ediciones, Lima
Varese S (1974) Las Minorias Etnicas y la Comunidad Nacional. Ediciones del Centro, Lima
Varese S (2004) Witness to Sovereignty. Department of Native American Studies, University of California, Davis, Indigenous Research Center of the Americas
Varese S (2019) Special Collection. University of California, Davis
Varsavsky O (1971) Proyectos Nacionales: planteo y estúdios de viabilidade. Ediciones Periferia, Buenos Aires
Varsavsky O et al (1971) América Latina: modelos matemáticos. Editorial Universitária, Santiago
Varsavsky O (1974) Estilos Tecnológicos: propuestas para la selección de tecnologias bajo racionalidad socialista. Ediciones Periferia, Buenos Aires
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Figueiredo, C.S. Democracy and second-order cybernetics: the ascent of participation and creativity. AI & Soc 37, 1153–1162 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01347-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01347-1