Responsibilities of Competence - Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition - page 197

ity. As long as humanity treats itself as an open system by ignoring the
signals of its sensors that report about its own state of affairs, we shall
approach this singularity with no breaks whatsoever. (Lately I began to
wonder whether the information of its own state can reach all elements in
time to act should they decide to listen rather than fight.)
The goal is clear: we have to close the system to reach a stable popula-
tion, a stable economy, and stable resources. While the problem of con-
structing a “population servo” and an “economic servo” can be solved with
the mental resources on this planet, for the stability of our material
resources we are forced by the Second Law of Thermodynamics to turn to
extra-planetary sources. About 2 · 10 14 kilowatts solar radiation are at our
disposal. Wisely used, this could leave our earthy, highly structured, invalu-
able organic resources, fossilized or living, intact for the use and enjoyment
of uncounted generations to come.
If we are after fame and success we may ignore the profundity of these
problems in computation, ordering, regulation, and entropy retardation.
However, since we as cyberneticians supposedly have the competence to
attack them, we may set our goal above fame and success by quietly going
about their solution. If we wish to maintain our scientific credibility, the first
step to take is to apply our competence to ourselves by forming a global
society which is not so much for Cybernetics as it functions cybernetically.
This is how I understand Dennis Gabor's exhortation in an earlier issue:
“Cyberneticians of the world, unite!” Without communication there is no
regulation; without regulation there is no goal; and without a goal the
concept of “society” or “system” becomes void.
Competence implies responsibilities. A doctor must act at the scene of
the accident. We can no longer afford to be the knowing spectators at a
global disaster. We must share what competence we have through commu-
nication and cooperation in working together through the problems of our
time. This is the only way in which we can fulfill our social and individual
responsibilities as cyberneticians who should practice what they preach.