Erich Jantsch (8 January 1929 12 December 1980) was an Austrian-born American
astrophysicist, engineer, educator, author,
[Emilio Ambasz al. "Erich Jantsch (1929-1980)," in: ''The Universitas Project: Solutions for a Post-technological Society,'' 2006, p. 490–1] consultant and futurist, especially known for his work in the social systems design movement in Europe in the 1970s.
Biography
Born in Vienna in 1929, Jantsch studied physics at the University of Vienna, where he obtained his doctorate in
astrophysics
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...
in 1951. Subsequently he did a post-doctorate study at the
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana University and, with ...
another year.
Jantsch had started his career as an astronomer at the University of Vienna, where he worked until 1957. In the mid 1950s he emigrated to the United States, but did not receive his green card until 1979.
He continued to work in Europe and United States. From 1957 to 1962 Jantsch worked as engineer and physicist in Switzerland.
In 1970 he was appointed Richard Merton Professor at the
Technical University
An institute of technology (also referred to as: technological university, technical university, university of technology, technological educational institute, technical college, polytechnic university or just polytechnic) is an institution of te ...
in Hanover, Germany.
Jantsch lectured widely in Europe, North and South America, Near East and Japan. For example, he was visiting lecturer of Planning and Research Planner of International Studies, University of California, Berkeley.
In 1974, Jantsch stayed at the Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio, "where he was one of the first distinguished residents invited by the Rockefeller Foundation".
He was also Research Associate at MIT, where he studied the future of MIT and the American University.
Jantsch was advisor to twenty governments, several international organizations and research institutes.
Among others he was "consultant to the Directorate of Scientific Development of the O.E.C.D. and as a member of the executive committee of the
Club of Rome
The Club of Rome is a nonprofit, informal organization of intellectuals and business leaders whose goal is a critical discussion of pressing global issues. The Club of Rome was founded in 1968 at Accademia dei Lincei in Rome, Italy. It consists ...
."
As consultant to OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development); prepared studies on the world food problem, technological forecasting, higher education, etc.
In 1971 he was the Austrian delegate to the first session of the UN Committee on Natural Resources.
For the last few years of his life, Jantsch was without a job and lived in an "apartment in Berkeley: dark and depressing room, with massage parlors above and below; a typewriter, a plant, and scattered copies of his favorite newspaper,
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
The ''Neue Zürcher Zeitung'' (''NZZ''; "New Journal of Zürich") is a Swiss, German-language daily newspaper, published by NZZ Mediengruppe in Zürich. The paper was founded in 1780. It was described as having a reputation as a high-quality ne ...
".
It was here that he finished his last book, ''The Self-Organizing Universe''. He made a living and supported his mother "by giving lectures all over the world, through writing, and by relying on a few friends".
Jantsch died on 12 December 1980 in Berkeley, California "after a short but painful illness." He had been "alone and lonely, abandoned by friends, misunderstood by colleagues".
His ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.
Work
In the mid-1960s Jantsch's increasing concern regarding the future led him to study
forecasting
Forecasting is the process of making predictions based on past and present data. Later these can be compared (resolved) against what happens. For example, a company might estimate their revenue in the next year, then compare it against the actual ...
techniques. He did not believe that forecasting or science could be neutral.
''The Self-Organizing Universe,'' 1979
Jantsch's Gauthier Lectures in System Science given in May 1979 at the
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
in Berkeley became the basis for his book ''The Self-Organizing Universe: Scientific and Human Implications of the Emerging Paradigm of Evolution'', published by
Pergamon Press
Pergamon Press was an Oxford-based publishing house, founded by Paul Rosbaud and Robert Maxwell, that published scientific and medical books and journals. Originally called Butterworth-Springer, it is now an imprint of Elsevier.
History
The cor ...
in 1980 as part of the System Science and World Order Library edited by
Ervin László
Ervin László (; born 12 June 1932) is a Hungarian philosopher of science, systems theorist, integral theorist, originally a classical pianist. He is an advocate of the theory of quantum consciousness.
Early life and education
László was ...
. The book deals with
self-organization
Self-organization, also called spontaneous order in the social sciences, is a process where some form of overall order arises from local interactions between parts of an initially disordered system. The process can be spontaneous when suffi ...
as a unifying
evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
ary
paradigm
In science and philosophy, a paradigm () is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and standards for what constitute legitimate contributions to a field.
Etymology
''Paradigm'' comes f ...
that incorporates
cosmology
Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount (lexicographer), Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', and in 1731 taken up in ...
,
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
,
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
,
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
, and
consciousness
Consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience and awareness of internal and external existence. However, the lack of definitions has led to millennia of analyses, explanations and debates by philosophers, theologians, linguisticians, and scien ...
. Jantsch is inspired by and draws on the work of
Ilya Prigogine
Viscount Ilya Romanovich Prigogine (; russian: Илья́ Рома́нович Приго́жин; 28 May 2003) was a physical chemist and Nobel laureate noted for his work on dissipative structures, complex systems, and irreversibility.
Biogra ...
concerning
dissipative structures
A dissipative system is a thermodynamically open system which is operating out of, and often far from, thermodynamic equilibrium in an environment with which it exchanges energy and matter. A tornado may be thought of as a dissipative system. Dis ...
and
nonequilibrium
Non-equilibrium thermodynamics is a branch of thermodynamics that deals with physical systems that are not in thermodynamic equilibrium but can be described in terms of macroscopic quantities (non-equilibrium state variables) that represent an ext ...
states.
Now out of print for many years, ''The Self-organizing Universe'' has been influential in the
interdisciplinary
Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...
fields of
biomimicry
Biomimetics or biomimicry is the emulation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. The terms "biomimetics" and "biomimicry" are derived from grc, βίος (''bios''), life, and μίμησ ...
,
holism
Holism () is the idea that various systems (e.g. physical, biological, social) should be viewed as wholes, not merely as a collection of parts. The term "holism" was coined by Jan Smuts in his 1926 book ''Holism and Evolution''."holism, n." OED Onl ...
,
co-evolution
In biology, coevolution occurs when two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolution through the process of natural selection. The term sometimes is used for two traits in the same species affecting each other's evolution, as well ...
, and
self-organization
Self-organization, also called spontaneous order in the social sciences, is a process where some form of overall order arises from local interactions between parts of an initially disordered system. The process can be spontaneous when suffi ...
. It was extensively cited in
Ken Wilber
Kenneth Earl Wilber II (born January 31, 1949) is an American philosopher and writer on transpersonal psychology and his own integral theory, a philosophy which suggests the synthesis of all human knowledge and experience.
Life and career
Wilber ...
's
integral philosophy book ''
Sex, Ecology, Spirituality: The Spirit of Evolution''.
Reception
Jantsch was described as "quiet and modest", but as an "original polymath and genius" by
Ralph H. Abraham in "The Genesis of Complexity".
Magoroh Maruyama Magoroh Maruyama (April 29, 1929 – March 16, 2018) was a Japanese/American business educator, consultant and researcher, best known for his contributions to cybernetics.Holloman, R. E., & Arutiunov, S. A. (Eds.). (1978). ''Perspectives on ethnici ...
wrote in a eulogy:
Jantsch succumbed at the age of 51 to the material and physical hardships that worsened progressively during the last decade of his prolific and still young life. This makes us realize again the harsh and brutal conditions of life some of the innovators must endure. ... Let us face squarely the fact that Jantsch was given no paid academic job during a decade of his residence in Berkeley—a town considered to be a foremost spawning ground of scientific and philosophical innovations." Jantsch penned his own epitaph: "Erich Jantsch died on __ in Berkeley after a painful illness. He was almost 52 and grateful for a very rich, beautiful and complete life. His ashes have been scattered over the sea, the cradle of evolution."[Linstone, H. A., Maruyama, M., & Kaje, R. (1981). Erich Jantsch 1929–1980. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 19(1), 1–5.]
Jantsch's ''Design for Evolution'' is described as "a seminal work on general evolution theory (GET)" by Ralph H. Abraham in "The Genesis of Complexity".
Selected publications
Books:
* 1966: ''Technological Forecasting in Perspective, Working Document''. DAS/SPR/66.12, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, France.
* 1967: ''Technological forecasting in perspective'',
OECD
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate e ...
, 1967.
* 1968: ''Integrating Forecasting and Planning through a Function-Oriented Approach.'' Technological Forecasting for Industry and Government. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
* 1969: ''Perspectives of Planning.''
* 1969: ''Integrative Planning for the" Joint Systems" of Society and Technology--The Emerging Role of the University.''
* 1969: ''Adaptive institutions for shaping the future. Perspectives on Planning.'' Jantsch, E., ed. OECD, Paris.
* 1970: ''Science and Human Purpose.''
* 1972: ''Technological planning and social futures'', Wiley, 1972.
* 1972: ''The futurists'' (Interview with E. Jantsch featured in this book) Toffler, A. (Ed.). (1972). New York: Random House.
* 1975: ''Design for Evolution: Self-Organization and Planning in the Life of Human Systems (The International Library of Systems Theory and Philosophy)'', George Braziller Inc, 1975.
* 1976: ''Introduction and summary. Evolution and Consciousness, Human Systems in Transition,'' Addison-Wesley Pubi., Reading, 1–8.
* 1976: ''Modes of Learning. Human Systems In Transition,'' edited by Frlch Jantsch and Conrad Waddlngton, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
* 1976: ''Evolution and consciousness: Human systems in transition''
* 1976: ''Evolution: Self-realization through self-transcendence.''
* 1976: ''Evolving images of man: Dynamic guidance for the mankind process.'' E. Jantsch CH Waddington: Evolution and Consciousness-Human systems in Transition, Addison-Wesley.
* 1976: ''Evaluation and 36 Systems and Models Consciousness.'' Jantsch, E., & Waddington, C. H.
* 1976: ''Self Realisation Through Self Transcendence.'' Evolution and Consciousness.
* 1976: ''Self-transcendence: new light on the evolutionary paradigm.''
* 1980: ''The Self-Organizing Universe: Scientific and Human Implications of the Emerging Paradigm of Evolution'', New York: Pergamon Press, 1980. hardcover ; softcover
* 1980: "The unifying paradigm behind autopoiesis, dissipative structures, hyper-and ultracycles". Autopoiesis, dissipative structures, and social orders. Westview Press, Boulder.
* 1980: "The evolutionary vision: Toward a unifying paradigm of physical, biological and sociological evolution".
* 1981: ''The Evolutionary Vision (Aaas Selected Symposium)'', Westview Press.
* 1981: ''The Evolutionary Vision: Toward a Unifying Paradigm of Physical, Biological and Sociocultural Evolution''. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1981.
* 1982: "From self-reference to self-transcendence: The evolution of self-organization dynamics". Self-organization and dissipative structure (University of Texas Press, Austin), 344353.
Articles, a selection:
* 1967: "Forecasting Future". ''Science Journal,'' 3(10), 40.
* 1968: "Technological forecasting for planning and its institutional implications". ''Ekistics,'' 26(153), 150–161.
* 1968: "Technological forecasting in corporate planning. ''Long Range Planning,'' 1(1), 40–50.
* 1969: "Integrative planning of society and technology: the emerging role of the university". ''Futures, ''1(3), 185–190.
* 1969: "New organizational forms for forecasting. ''Technological Forecasting,'' 1(2), 151–161.
* 1969: "The organization of technological forecasting in the Soviet Union:: Notes from a brief visit". ''Technological Forecasting,'' 1(1), 83–86.
* 1969: "The chasm ahead". Futures, 1(4), 314–317.
* 1970: "Inter- and Transdisciplinary University: A Systems Approach to Education and Innovation", Policy Sciences, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Winter, 1970), pp. 403–42
* 1970: "From forecasting and planning to policy sciences", ''Policy Sciences,'' 1(1), 31–47.
* 1970: "Toward a methodology for systemic forecasting". ''Technological Forecasting,'' 1(4), 409–419.
* 1970: "Technological forecasting at national level in Japan:: Notes from a brief visit". ''Technological Forecasting,'' 1(3), 325–327.
* 1971: "The Planning of Change", in ''Policy Sciences''.
* 1971: "World Corporation-Total Commitment". ''COLUMBIA JOURNAL OF WORLD BUSINESS,'' 6(3), 5–12.
* 1971: "World dynamics". ''Futures,'' 3(2), 162–169.
* 1972: "Education for design". ''Futures,'' 4(3), 232–255.
* 1972: "The organization of forecasting in Romania: Notes from a brief visit". ''Technological Forecasting and Social Change,'' 4(1), 19–22.
* 1972: "Towards interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity in education and innovation. Interdisciplinarity", ''Problems of Teaching and Research in Universities.'' OECD, Paris, 97–121.
* 1972: "Forecasting and the systems approach: A critical survey". ''Policy Sciences,'' 3(4), 475–498.
* 1973: "Enterprise and environment". ''Industrial Marketing Management,'' 2(2), 113–130.
* 1973: "Forecasting and systems approach: a frame of reference". ''Management Science,'' 19(12), 1355-1367.
* 1974: "Organising the human world: an evolutionary outlook". ''Futures,'' 6(1), 4–15.
* 1975: "The quest for absolute values." ''Futures,'' 7(6), 463–474.
* 1980: "Ethics and evolution." ''The North American Review,'' 14–18.'
* 1980: "Interdisciplinarity: Dreams and Reality". ''Prospects: Quarterly Review of Education,'' 10(3), 304–12.
* 1981: "Autopoiesis: A central aspect of dissipative self-organization". Zeleny, M. Autopoiesis: a theory of living organization. New York: North Holland, 65–88.
* 1981: "Unifying principles of evolution". In ''The Evolutionary Vision'', 83–116.
References
External links
Book cover at Kheper.netFree download of: The-Self-Organizing-Universe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jantsch, Erich
1929 births
1980 deaths
American astrophysicists
American futurologists
Austrian physicists
Philosophical cosmologists
University of California, Berkeley people