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Heinz von Foerster Quotes

Act always so as to increase the number of choices

Act always so as to increase the number of choices

Heinz von Foerster
Numbers, Choices, Increase
Heinz Von Foerster (1984). “Observing Systems”

Objectivity is the delusion that observations could be made without an observer.

Heinz von Foerster
Objectivity, Made, Observation

The environment as we perceive it is our invention.

Heinz von Foerster
Environment, Invention, Perceive
Heinz von Foerster (2007). “Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition”, p.212, Springer Science & Business Media

If you desire to see, learn how to act.

Heinz von Foerster
Vision, Desire, Seeing
Heinz Von Foerster (1984). “Observing Systems”

First-order cybernetics is the science of observed systems; Second-order cybernetics is the science of observing systems.

Heinz von Foerster
Order, Cybernetics, Firsts

Hard sciences are successful because they deal with the soft problems; soft sciences are struggling because they deal with the hard problems.

Heinz von Foerster
Struggle, Successful, Problem
Heinz von Foerster (2007). “Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition”, p.191, Springer Science & Business Media

Something that cannot be explained cannot be seen.

Heinz von Foerster
Heinz von Foerster (2007). “Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition”, p.284, Springer Science & Business Media

Objectivity is a subject's delusion that observing can be done without him.

Heinz von Foerster
Objectivity, Done, Insight
"The Certainty of Uncertainty: Dialogues Introducing Constructivis" by Bernhard Poerksen, (p. 3), 2004.

What we need now is the description of the "describer" or, in other words, we need a theory of the observer.

Heinz von Foerster
Needs, Description, Theory
Heinz von Foerster (2007). “Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition”, p.247, Springer Science & Business Media

Should one name one central concept, a first principle, of cybernetics, it would be circularity.

Heinz von Foerster
Names, Principles, Circularity

Either Stone Age man was a technological wizard, who carefully removed his technological achievements so as not to upset his inferior progeny, or our population dwindled from a once astronomical size to the mere three billions of today.

Heinz von Foerster
Men, Upset, Age
"Population Density and Growth". "Science", Vol 133, June 16, 1961.

Cybernetics is NOT the banana.

Heinz von Foerster
Cybernetics, Bananas

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