How to Think in Terms of Systems

During this course the student will not only learn what systems are but also why they are an important part of our everyday lives. Many topics will be presented within it. These include discussions of – the elements that make up our world – how change takes place both within us and around us – why all organisms must struggle to survive – the concept of contentment – a definition of an open system and its economic constraints – what a system looks like in terms of a diagram – how to evaluate the performance of a system – marginal utility – the concept of a system sequence – the sources of motivation that organisms have for joining a group – how group systems can be structured in terms of an organizational chart – the role that administration and authority play within an organization – points of exchange between employees and opportunities for quality and quantity control – how current world events can be viewed from a systems perspective and the final suggestion that the whole world might be viewed as one large system. The content of this course is facilitated using many pictures, diagrams, hypothetical situations, and other examples. This will help the student to not only understand the material quickly but also be able to more readily incorporate this mindset into how he or she sees the world and functions within it. Many years have been spent researching and developing this material. As a result, I feel that much of it is unique to this course. It is my opinion that each student will walk away from it with a better understanding of what their own worldview is and how they can use it to live their lives more comfortably and successfully. In a word, this course is about economics. This science defines the constraints within which organisms must function if they are to survive within a world of limited resources and constant change. Systems are the patterns of thought and behavior that organisms use to get their needs met while functioning within these boundaries.