Blackwell Reference Online

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Two or more hierarchies, joined together in such a way that the coupling is formed of strange loops , in which the lower level of a hierarchy reacts back upon the higher level of another, while the higher level of the latter reacts back upon the lower level of the former. Let H1 and H2 be two hierarchies and A and B two coupled sub-systems belonging to H1 and H2. We then have A below B in H1 and B below A in H2. If we view the system as a whole, something internal to the system ‘moves out’ of it to act ‘upon’ the system. Such configurations appear in non-orientated topological spaces such as the Möbius strip or the Klein bottle. Hofstadter et al. (1980) argue that, in every self-organized system, there exists a ‘protected’ level which cannot be affected by the rules of the other levels, however tangled their interactions. A tangled hierarchy is based on ‘self-modifiable software’ and ‘inviolate hardware’. ‘A writer A is writing a book x in which a writer B is writing a book y in which a writer C is writing a book z in which a writer A is writing a book x etc.’ is an elementary example of a tangled hierarchy. The inviolate level is that of the writer who conceives the story that loops back on itself in this way. There is no shortage of tangled hierarchies in clinical practice. For example, an alcoholic may drink because his wife is overbearing and rejecting, while the wife is overbearing ... log in or subscribe to read full text