Emergence and Growth of
Knowledge and Diversity in
Hierarchically Complex Living
Systems:
Genesis of a theoretical
framework
William P. Hall
Head Office / Engineering
Tenix Defence, Williamstown
bill.hall@tenix.com
EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY OF
SPECIES AND
ORGANIZATIONS
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Personal Research
Visiting Faculty Associate
University of Technology Sydney
National Fellow
Australian Centre for Science, Innovation and
Society - University of Melbourne
Origins
 Work traces from a profound mismatch between my ideas regarding
the nature of enterprises and their knowledge
– I'm an evolutionary biologist by training (PhD Harvard, 1973)
• EE Williams, Ernst Mayr, SJ Gould, EO Wilson, JD Watson, M. Meselson,
etc.
• Research in early life, genetic systems, speciation and differentiation
• For 25 years I have been computerizing knowledge in organizations
– I started a book in 2000 on the co-evolution of human cognition and our
cognitive tools at personal and organizational levels
•
•
•
•
Application Holy Wars: A Fugue on the Theory of Knowledge
Project halted due to a mismatch between org literature and my ideas
Solution re-formulates org theory and KM on evolutionary principles
Reformulation now well underway with peer-reviewed published papers
 Current paper bridges the gaps between the reformulation of org
theory and idea roots in cellular and organismic evolutionary biology
– To make the story coherent requires reinventing the theory of life itself
• theory of self-organizing hierarchically complex dissipative systems
• evolutionary epistemology
• autopoiesis
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Key ideas (1)
 Complex = incalculable? / computationally irreducible dynamics(?)
 Complexity can exist at many hierarchical scales
 The selected focal level in a dynamic and hierarchically complex
world determines a triad for analysis (Simon, Pattee, Salthe, Gould)
– The two-faced holon or system of interest at the focal level
– The smaller, faster components and subsystems forming the holon at
the next lower level
– The larger, slower supersystem forming the holon's environment
 Thermodynamics in complex environments drives dissipative systems
conducting energy from source to sink to evolve complex
"convection" systems (Prigogine, Morowitz, Odum, Kay, Schneider)
 Selective dis-integration of unstable systems favours convection
systems with self-stabilising feedback loops (various)
 Survival perpetuates the dynamic structures of successful solutions
to problems (truism)
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Key ideas (2)
 Autopoiesis defines a set of integrated properties that a complex
system must have to be considered to be living (Maturana & Varela)
–
–
–
–
–
–
Self-identifiably bounded
Individually identifiable components within the boundary
Dynamically mechanistic
System boundaries internally determined
System intrinsically produces own components
Self-produced components produce the system
 Evolutionary epistemology (Karl Popper, Donald Campbell)
– Knowledge = solutions to problems of life
– Knowledge is constructed - impossible to deductively prove a belief
about reality is true (or false)
– Knowledge of reality improves through speculation, test and error
elimination (Popper); blind variation & selective retention (Campbell)
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Key ideas (3)
 Ontological domains (Popper - my interpretation)
– World 1 - dynamic physical reality that life learns about
– World 2 - computationally irreducible(?) solutions to problems of life
embodied in the historically derived dispositions and dynamic structures
of surviving autopoietic systems - corresponds to Polanyi's tacit
knowledge
– World 3 - encoded solutions to problems of life
• DNA
• Trails, pheromones
• Linguistic expression, books, media
– [World 3'/World 4? Constructs, tools, nests, architecture, cities]
 Epistemic cuts (Pattee, Rocha, Hoffmeyer, Emmeche)
– The difference between reality and knowledge of reality
– Cut 1 - World 2 from world 1
– Cut 2 - World 3 from world 2
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Emergence of knowledge
 Cognition is the cybernetics of autopoiesis (Maturana)
 Emergence = establishment of a complex system at a new level in the
hierarchy between two pre existing levels of complexity (Salthe)
 Early autopoietic systems emerge close to thermodynamic equilibrium
between coalescence/disintegration (Kauffman)
– Autopoietic systems produce components that are favourable to autopoiesis
– Dissipating systems lose history, but return components to the environment
that have previously worked in autopoietic systems
• Knowledge of autopoiesis is inherent in the environment, thus shared promiscuously
• Promiscuity impedes specialisation because random components need to work together
– Early reproduction requires only growth and fragmentation - where fragments
would retain some of the parent's history
 Selection for self-stabilization evolves towards clonal reproduction away
from equilibrium, and preserves structural history that worked
 Knowledge defines the nature and behaviour of the autopoietic system
 Meaning = knowledge embodied in dynamic structure
 Knowledge = heredity and is the historically accumulated control
'information' of autopoietic cybernetics that regulates problem responses
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Emergent orders of autopoietic complexity
 Presence of autopoietic system self-defines a level of complexity
 1st order triad
– Holonic level = living cell
(1O' = endosymbiotic cellular organization)
– Subsystems/components = macromolecules
– Supersystem/environment = medium in trophically dynamic ecosystem
 2nd order triad
– Holonic level = multicellular organism (1O' = colonial "superorganism")
– Subsystems/components = living cells
– Supersystem/environment = medium in trophically dynamic ecosystem
 3rd order triad
– Holonic level = society of organisms (ants, bees, termites)
– Subsystems/components = multicellular organisms
– Supersystems/environment = medium in trophically dynamic ecosystem
 3rd order triad
– Holonic level = human economic organization
– Subsystems/components = entities with linguistic capabilities
– Supersystems/components = products in dynamic economy
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Reproduction, sex, and diversification (1)
 World 2 knowledge transmitted by the division of pre-existing
dynamic structure
– inescapable consequence of autopoiesis
– entails some loss of computationally irreducible structure
– depends on what parts of structure passed on
 Emergence of world 3 knowledge depends on evolution of
codification systems
– Autocatalytic nucleic acid polymers in emergence of first order
autopoiesis.
•
•
•
•
Nucleic acid polymers may have enzymatic and/or structural fns
Autoreplication of polymer replicates associated functions
RNAs retain structural & enzymatic functions to apply control info
DNAs codified control information into "genes"
– Selective advantages for grouping genes into chromosomes
• Accurate replication
• Controlled segregation into daughter cells
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Reproduction, sex, and diversification (2)
 Clonal reproduction in prokaryotes
– Clonal evol & differentiation of coadapted snippets in lineages
– Advantage: Protected accuracy of existing world 3 knowledge
– Disadvantage: Reduced ability to recombine tested knowledge from
different sources in one lineage
 Sexual recombination totally separate from reproduction
–
–
–
–
–
Transformation (naked DNA absorbed from environment)
Transduction (viral transfer)
Conjugation (transfer of plasmid DNA via cell bridge)
Recognition of related & rejection of unrelated DNA sequences
Pairing & crossing over of homologous DNA
 Eukaryote DNA well isolated from external exchanges
 Choreographed cell & nuclear fusion
– Choreographed recombination and assortment
– Specialised knowledge allows emergence of biological speciation and gene
pools as evolutionary entities
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Knowledge in higher order autopoiesis (1)
 Second order systems (multicellular organisms)
– Clonal budding and alternation of generations common in lower orgs
– W2 knowledge transmitted via structure of egg cell
• Learning reflected in structural connections of neurones and other
aspects of dispositional structure (physiological adaptation)
• Most dispositional (somatic) learning cannot be transferred via sexual
reproduction
– Extended parental care can transfer some W2 knowledge via
demonstration and copying
– W3 knowledge in DNA
• All cells have same DNA
• Some DNA is control info for cell differentiation and development
• Only evolves via blind variation and selective elimination of carriers
– W3 knowledge in extrasomatic heritage
• Evolution of semiotic/linguistic transfers
• Encoded objects
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Knowledge in higher order autopoiesis (2)
 Third order systems (societies, organizations)
– Pubs: Hall 2003, 2005; Else 2004; Hall et al. 2005; Nousala et al,
2005; Dalmaris et al. in press
– W2 knowledge
•
•
•
•
•
social network structure
layout and capabilities of plant and machinery
tacit organizational routines
tacit personal knowledge
cultural dynamics
– W3 knowledge
• part of DNA at level of individual organisms encoded adaptations for
social behaviours
• pheromonal trails, published inducements, etc.
• records and documents of organizational significance
• explicitly defined processes and procedures
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
The author's background












Entered Uni 1957 - Majored in physics for 3 yrs / failed
BS in Biology 1964 (ecology and animal behavior)
Taught biology 2 years at a new uni with a new MS program
PhD in Evolutionary Biology, Harvard (1967-1973)
Taught biology for 4 years - Univ. Puerto Rico, Colorado
(Hands on with all generations of computer systems)
University Melb Res Fellow 77-79, genetics, epistemology
1 year teaching Uni Maryland before return to Australia
81-83 Taught computer literacy
84-87 Documentation Mgr small software house
87-89 IS Documentation Mgr Bank of Melbourne
90- Tenix Defence variety of documentation & KM roles
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Timeline: Incubation
1960 Consequences of exponential growth on a finite planet
1960-63 Biophysics - sensory & dev. physiology research (res. asst.)
1962-64 Odum's ecosystem trophic dynamics (course & hons. research)
1963 Discovered correlation of chromosome and species diversity in
Sceloporus lizards (course research)
1965-1980 Planning & teaching range of integrative biology courses
1965-66 Discovered endosymbiotic origins eukaryote cells
1967-73 Comparative population cytogenetics, speciation, and evolution
of the iguanid lizard genus Sceloporus (PhD thesis work)
– heredity, systematics, cladistics and analysis of evolutionary systems
1977-1979 First round application of Popper and Kuhn's thinking to
evolutionary biology (see Hall 1983)
– app. statistical signal averaging to logic of scientific discovery
1981  personal computing, business documentation production, analysis
and management; business process analysis; organisational KM
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
Timeline: Prob. identification & theory dev't
1998 Ian Combe's work
2000 John Boyd's work; paradigmatic issues in flame wars re use of
cognitive tools in org. documentation and technical writing world
Late 2000-2002 Began hypertext: Application Holy Wars or a New
Reformation: A Fugue on the Theory of Knowledge
2001 Encountered Michael Polanyi's epistemology
2002 Encountered fundamental paradigmatic issues between my
understanding of org theory and cognition and the rest of world
– Required access to research library to study issues
– Negotiated hon. fellowship via Monash Uni KM Lab (Frada Burstein)
2002 Encountered Maturana and Varela's work
– Decision to reinvent organization and KM theory via series of papers,
student training
2004 Encountered Salthe's work on hierarchy theory  Pattee et al.
Mid 2005 Monash Uni ended hon. fellowship (no Tenix money gained)
2006 UniMelb, UTS honorary access, 3 PhD's finished, more???
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/
What next?
 Cog science to fill the gap between genetic & org knowledge
 Seeking new students
– Biology, cog science (no funds, more than happy to advise)
– Possible "KM Intern" positions within Tenix (probably unfunded)
 Several potential collaborators already identified: Aus, EU, USA
 Continuing problem
– Employer is a high tech defence project management company
• To now, they have been very cooperative where my time is concerned
• Don't fully understand KM, let alone fundamental research
• Where is their return on their investment in my time?
– $0.00 grant funding and I am not independently wealthy
– Have 70+ days accumulated long-service leave
• Desperately need hot-desk & bookshelf space with broadband net access
where I can focus on completing planned papers
• Prefer accessibility major uni library and train (for commuting)
• Prefer to use leave on a part-time basis (say 2-3 days/week)
– Ideally seek grant money to buy more time from Tenix
Personal Research
http://www.orgs-evolution-knowledge.net/