Domain: theory of character

In this dictionary, the theory of character is a separate domain. In it Mazur carried the concepts of the theory of autonomous systems over to human beings: he treats character as a set of rigid control properties, and he treats groups of values of character dynamism as the basis for dividing characters into character classes.

Where the entries come from

The domain contains 115 entries with 115 definitions. 88 definitions come from Cybernetyka i charakter (PIW, 1976) and 27 from the earlier Cybernetyczna teoria układów samodzielnych (PWN, 1966) — which already introduces, among others, character classes, character diagram and character crystallisation. None of the definitions of this domain is numbered in the books; all of them have been taken from sentences of the text.

Load-bearing concepts

The most frequently used concept of the domain is character dynamism — 11 entries rest on it, which gives it a place among the twenty most frequently used concepts of the whole dictionary. It is followed by decision and reflection (7 each) and by attraction, aversion, emotion and motivation (6 each).

Bridges to other domains

The theory of character is built on the concepts of cybernetics. There are 177 links within the domain, and 33 references lead to cybernetics — most often to the homeostat (11), the correlator (9) and the effectors (4), while the definitions of psyche and control properties refer directly to the autonomous system. No reference leads in the opposite direction, and the domain has no direct links with qualitative information theory.

This can be seen in the longest definitional paths. Love, friendship and adoration / patronage lie thirteen steps above the base concepts: the path leads from them through, among others, affection, sympathy, ambition, aspiration, attraction and emotion to the homeostat, and on to the autonomous system. Two entries, reactivity and sensation / sensation registrate, do not yet have any links in the dictionary.

The school's work also includes other domains not covered by this dictionary.

Sources

• Marian Mazur, Cybernetyka i charakter (‘Cybernetics and Character’), PIW, 1976.
• Marian Mazur, Cybernetyczna teoria układów samodzielnych (‘A Cybernetic Theory of Autonomous Systems’), PWN, 1966.
• The numbers of entries, definitions, references and links were counted from the dictionary data on this site.