W. Ross Ashby | Cybernetics Learning Platform

How to Read This: Understanding Relationships

Concepts are connected by relationships drawn from Pask's Conversation Theory. Start here if you're new.

Why these terms? The relationships between concepts use vocabulary from Gordon Pask's Conversation Theory. Pask — who studied under Ashby — developed the idea of entailment meshes: networks showing how concepts necessarily lead to other concepts. We use his terminology so the same vocabulary works across all thinkers on this platform.

Read each relationship as a sentence: "Concept A [RELATIONSHIP] Concept B"

ENTAILS Logical Implication

If A is true, then B necessarily follows. You cannot have A without B.

A → ENTAILS → B = "If A, then necessarily B"

Stability ENTAILS Equilibrium — You cannot discuss stability without equilibrium being part of the picture.

DERIVES_FROM Prerequisite / Dependency

To understand A, you must first understand B. B is a prerequisite for A.

A → DERIVES_FROM → B = "To understand A, you need B first"

Law of Requisite Variety DERIVES_FROM Variety — You can't understand the law without first knowing what variety means.

GENERALIZES Abstracts / Extends

A is a more abstract, general, or developed form of B. A takes B to a higher level.

A → GENERALIZES → B = "A is a more abstract form of B"

Ultrastability GENERALIZES Stability — Ultrastability isn't just stability; it includes self-reorganization.

PARTICULARIZES Instance / Specific Case

A is a concrete example or specific instance of B. A makes B tangible.

A → PARTICULARIZES → B = "A is a specific instance of B"

Homeostat PARTICULARIZES Ultrastability — The Homeostat is a physical machine that demonstrates ultrastability.

CONSTRAINS Limits / Bounds

A places limits on B. A defines the boundaries within which B operates.

A → CONSTRAINS → B = "A limits what B can achieve"

Channel Capacity CONSTRAINS Transmission of Variety — You can't transmit more variety than your channel allows.

ENABLES Makes Possible

A creates the conditions for B to exist. Without A, B wouldn't be possible.

A → ENABLES → B = "A makes B possible"

Double Feedback ENABLES Self-Reorganization — Without the second feedback loop, self-reorganization couldn't happen.

CONTRASTS Differs From

A and B are different in important ways. Understanding the contrast illuminates both.

A ↔ CONTRASTS ↔ B = "A and B differ in important ways" (bidirectional)

Direct Regulation CONTRASTS Indirect Regulation — Two fundamentally different strategies for adaptation.

ANALOGOUS_TO Structural Similarity

A and B share structural or functional similarities, often across different domains.

A ↔ ANALOGOUS_TO ↔ B = "A works like B" (bidirectional)

Thermostat ANALOGOUS_TO Homeostasis — Same structure, different domains: both use feedback to maintain a variable within limits.

Tip: Follow DERIVES_FROM chains to find prerequisites. Follow GENERALIZES to go deeper. Follow PARTICULARIZES to find concrete examples. Only CONTRASTS and ANALOGOUS_TO are bidirectional — all others are directional.

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