Ludwig von Bertalanffy vs. Karl Pearson
Side-by-side comparison of two thinkers
Ludwig von Bertalanffy
1901 – 1972
Karl Ludwig von Bertalanffy was an Austrian biologist known as one of the founders of general systems theory (GST). This is an interdisciplinary practice that describes systems with interacting components, applicable to biology, cybernetics and other fields. Bertalanffy proposed that the classical laws of thermodynamics might be applied to closed systems, but not necessarily to "open systems" such as living things.
"We find systems which by their very nature and definition are not closed systems. Every living organism is essentially an open system. It maintains itself in a …"
Karl Pearson
1857 – 1936
Karl Pearson was an English biostatistician and mathematician. He has been credited with establishing the discipline of mathematical statistics. He founded the world's first university statistics department at University College London in 1911, and contributed significantly to the field of biometrics and meteorology.
"Wherever there is the slightest possibility for the human mind to know, there is a legitimate problem of science. Outside the field of actual knowledge can only…"
Connections
Both wrote about: