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The notion of "system" has gained central importance in contemporary science, society and life. In many fields of endeavor, the necessity of a "systems approach" or "systems thinking" is emphasized, new professions called "systems engineering," "systems analysis" and the like have come into being, and there can be little doubt that this this concept marks a genuine, necessary, and consequential development in science and world-view.

— Ervin László Introduction to Systems Philosophy (1972)

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More quotes by Ervin László

We are living in a time of dissent, upheaval, revolutions and struggle, frequently aimed at mutual destruction.

Systems at each level of integration function as wholes with respect to their parts and parts with respect to higher level wholes.

Introduction to Systems Philosophy (1972)

Cultures are, in the final analysis, value-guided systems.

The systems view of the world (1996)

Opposed to atomism and behaviorism, the systems view of man links him again with the world he lives in, for he is seen as emerging in that world and reflecting its general character.

Introduction to Systems Philosophy (1972)

Each system has a speciﬁc structure made up of certain maintained relationships among its parts, and manifests irreducible characteristics of its own.

Introduction to Systems Philosophy (1972)

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The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.

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All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.

Albert Einstein Moral Decay (1937)

Science and religion are two human enterprises sharing many features.

Freeman Dyson Infinite in All Directions (1988)

To doubt everything or to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions; both dispense with the necessity of reflection.

Henri Poincaré Science and Hypothesis (1901)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Ervin László (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.