Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 39, No. 332.
        Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
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        Date: 2026-02-13 11:36:34+00:00
        From: Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty@mccarty.org.uk>
        Subject: cfp: Thinking in Systems: Critical revisions and futures of a concept

Thinking in Systems: Critical revisions and futures of a concept

Dear colleagues,

I hope some of you would consider interesting to contribute to this
meta-analytical approach to systems. Kindly share it with your
out-of-the-box colleagues across all disciplines.

The language of  systems  has become nearly ubiquitous—a conceptual
shorthand for describing ecological processes, social formations,
technological infrastructures, and even habits of mind. For at least
half a century, it has offered an appealing blueprint for making sense
of a messy world of interrelations and complexity.

As a reflection on what is often implied and taken for granted, we would
like to probe into the idea of system and its use. We plan to do so in a
variety of ways. First, by investigating whether a specific system
is referred to as a system by virtue of its organizational structure,
the metaphor of one, the discourse about it, or because the thing itself
is taken to be a system. We recognize that part of the system’s appeal
lies in its proximity to related terms such as  network,  structure,
and ecology — each carrying its own history, politics, and epistemic
promises. Exploring these interlinked concepts allows for a nuanced
inquiry into how “thinking in systems” overlaps with, diverges from,
or animates certain understandings of connectivity and predictability.

Beyond “systems thinking” as a formal methodology, this proposal also
turns to the broader semantic field of  /systema/: how the word itself —
and the imagery it evokes — shapes our conceptual landscape and what
affordances it offers. How does it travel across domains, and what kinds
of intellectual, political, or aesthetic work does it enable? From where
does it draw its epistemic authority, and where does it lead
us? Similarly, the frequent slippage between the adjectives systemic and 
systematic, though not a strict dichotomy, points to this conceptual 
elasticity: a looseness that both enriches and complicates its analytic 
use. Hence we ask, what does invoking the notion of a  /system/  do for 
us?

This CFP also welcomes engagements with intellectual traditions that
have shaped contemporary understandings of systems—for
example, cybernetics and the work of Gregory Bateson, or quantum theory
and physics, or, more generally, perspectives that draw attention to
feedback, communication, and recursive patterns—elements that complicate
linear or deterministic readings of “the system” while underscoring its
generativity.

We invite contributions from any discipline and any scholar who is
interested in critically examining the epistemic, metaphorical,
historical, pragmatic, and cultural life of a system, or the
 system. Possible areas of inquiry include: an analytical or
philosophical history of systema and/or systems theory; comparative
analyses of the use of system/network in scientific and humanistic
discourses; the affordances of systems in their disciplinary
deployment; the semiotics of feedback and cybernetics; system as—and
for—a methodology of complexity, or the institutionalization of
systems-based vocabularies.

By bringing together scholars from diverse fields, we aim to reconsider
what is at stake in speaking the language of  /systems/ — and
to investigate the ways in which its conceptual reach continues to
clarify the complexities of contemporary life,
or demands instead renewed critical attention.

Please send an abstract of whatever length you find suitable to
cortesi@iss.nl  as early as possible. Abstracts will be reviewed on March 
5th, but an earlier submission allows some interaction. Please expect 
a response by March 15th. 

Please specify your discipline(s) and your feasible timeline for
submitting the full 5000-words manuscript. Proposal for work of
different lengths will also be entertained. Also, please clarify
whether traveling to the Netherlands (at the most convenient date for
everyone) for a seminar would be feasible for you.

The project will become a SI or a book for a University Press depending
on the number of high quality papers and the interdisciplinary fit.
Details will be shared to confirmed co-authors when all proposals and
deadlines are discussed.


Best Regards,
Luisa
cortesi@iss.nl


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