👉 The Vienna Computing Theory, developed by Heinz von Foerster and colleagues in the 1970s, is a comprehensive framework for understanding human cognition and artificial intelligence through the lens of complex systems. It posits that cognition arises from the dynamic interactions among an individual's mental processes, their environment, and the tools they use, emphasizing the role of context, meaning, and self-organization. The theory introduces concepts like "self-organizing systems," "scaffolding," and "emergent properties," arguing that cognitive processes are not pre-programmed but emerge from the continuous interaction between an individual and their environment. It also highlights the importance of feedback loops, adaptation, and the integration of symbolic and non-symbolic information. This holistic approach contrasts with traditional computational models by focusing on the adaptive, context-dependent nature of cognition and proposing that understanding intelligence requires considering the entire system in which it operates, not just the individual's internal mechanisms.
