Cybernetics of Cybernetics - Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition - page 286

which the observer enters the system by stipulating the system's purpose.
We may call this a “first-order stipulation”. In a “second-order stipulation”
the observer enters the system by stipulating his own purpose.
From this it appears to be clear that social cybernetics must be a second-
order cybernetics—a cybernetics of cybernetics —in order that the observer
who enters the system shall be allowed to stipulate his own purpose: he is
autonomous. If we fail to do so somebody else will determine a purpose for
us. Moreover, if we fail to do so, we shall provide the excuses for those who
want to transfer the responsibility for their own actions to somebody else:
“I am not responsible for my actions; I just obey orders.” Finally, if we fail
to recognize autonomy of each, we may turn into a society that attempts to
honor commitments and forgets about its responsibilities.
I am most grateful to the organizers and the speakers of this conference
who permitted me to see cybernetics in the context of social responsibility.
I move to give them a strong hand. Thank you very much.
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