Overview

The book Theory and Practice of Contrast completes, corrects and integrates the foundations of science and humanities, which include: theory of art, philosophy (aesthetics, epistemology, ontology, axiology), cognitive science, theory of information, theory of complexity and physics. Through the integration of these distant disciplines, many unresolved issues in contemporary science have been clarified or better understood, among others: defining impact (contrast) and using this definition in different fields of knowledge; understanding what beauty/art is and what our aesthetic preferences depend on; deeper understanding of what complexity and information are in essence, and providing their general definitions. Complexity means integration, value and goodness - concepts that seem to be neglected today. The book also has a high degree of integration/complexity, although each chapter introduces a new issue. The last chapter: ""Binary Model of the Universe"" draws attention to the need for including in physics the analysis of our mind and the resulting new possibilities, which include the mentioned (digital) model of the universe. Despite the difficult issues raised here, this study is written in accessible language and may be interesting not only for scientists and academics.

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Reviews

"The book ""Theory and Practice of Contrast"" shows that investigating the foundations of our knowledge is not idle and that it is possible to consider fundamental issues in a constructive way, providing concrete solutions and benefits. The lack of such research today is the cause of stagnation in many fields. I believe that this book will help to draw attention to that problem and unleash our intellectual potential, which is blocked and cannot be realized in the current (superficial) paradigms. Professor Zofia Rosińska-Zielińska Warsaw University,□ Department of Philosopy The book ""Theory and Practice of Contrast"" shows that investigating the foundations of our knowledge is not idle and that it is possible to consider fundamental issues in a constructive way, providing concrete solutions and benefits. The lack of such research today is the cause of stagnation in many fields. I believe that this book will help to draw attention to that problem and unleash our intellectual potential, which is blocked and cannot be realized in the current (superficial) paradigms. Professor Zofia Rosińska-Zielińska Warsaw University,□ Department of Philosopy The book, entitled ""Theory and Practice of Contrast: Integrating Science, Art and Philosophy,"" written by Mariusz Stanowski and published by CRC Press, introduces systems thinking and logic into the underlying foundation of the general knowledge. The most basic concepts introduced here are those of contrast, complexity, and emergence in very general terms. In particular, the concept of contrast explains what a relationship a system’s elements are general in - the interactions of the elements’ features that are either common or differentiating. It is from contrast(s) that complexity and emergence appear naturally. By treating complexity in reality as a binary structure, this concept is expectedly applicable to any system if the system’s structure can be binarily coded. As well noted, emergence represents one of the very central properties of systems investigated in systems science (Lin et al., 2012). It reflects how macro-level properties emerge out of micro-level elements, none of which possesses the macro-properties. Currently, this systemic concept is confronting the community of macroeconomists in their exploration on how macroeconomic phenomena could and should be rooted in microeconomic agents (Vines & Wills, 2018). Because the complexity of a system can be objectively identified with value (according to Mr. Stanowski), the introduction of common and differentiating features enables quantitative analysis of relations between elements of a system. Related to Aristotle’s claim (Lin, 1999) that ""the whole is more than the sum of its parts,"" Mr. Stanowski provides an explanation for why it is that ""the whole"" (system) is ""more than the sum of its parts."" Specifically, the ""more"" here stands for the emerged new features of the system when the component parts are combined into a whole, even though these parts do not possess the features. For a different while similar explanation of this Aristotle’s claim, see Lin and Fan (1997). Dr. Jeffrey Yi-Lin Forrest, professor of mathematics, economics, finance and systems science; President of the International Institute for General Systems Studies. References Lin, Y. (1999). General Systems Theory: A Mathematical Approach. Plenum and Kluwer Academic Publishers. Lin, Y., Duan, X.J., Zhao, C.L., & Xu, L.D. (2012). Systems Science: Methodological Approaches. CRC Press, ISBN-10: 1439895511, ISBN-13: 978-1439895511. Lin, Y., & Fan, T.H. (1997). The fundamental structure of general systems and its relation to knowability of the physical world. Kybernetes: The International Journal of Systems and Cybernetics, 26 (3), 275-285. Vines, D., & Wills, S. (2018). The rebuilding macroeconomic theory project: An analytical assessment. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 34(1-2), 1-42."

"The book ""Theory and Practice of Contrast"" shows that investigating the foundations of our knowledge is not idle and that it is possible to consider fundamental issues in a constructive way, providing concrete solutions and benefits. The lack of such research today is the cause of stagnation in many fields. I believe that this book will help to draw attention to that problem and unleash our intellectual potential, which is blocked and cannot be realized in the current (superficial) paradigms. Professor Zofia Rosińska-Zielińska Warsaw University,□ Department of Philosopy The book, entitled ""Theory and Practice of Contrast: Integrating Science, Art and Philosophy,"" written by Mariusz Stanowski and published by CRC Press, introduces systems thinking and logic into the underlying foundation of the general knowledge. The most basic concepts introduced here are those of contrast, complexity, and emergence in very general terms. In particular, the concept of contrast explains what a relationship a system's elements are general in - the interactions of the elements' features that are either common or differentiating. It is from contrast(s) that complexity and emergence appear naturally. By treating complexity in reality as a binary structure, this concept is expectedly applicable to any system if the system's structure can be binarily coded. As well noted, emergence represents one of the very central properties of systems investigated in systems science (Lin et al., 2012). It reflects how macro-level properties emerge out of micro-level elements, none of which possesses the macro-properties. Currently, this systemic concept is confronting the community of macroeconomists in their exploration on how macroeconomic phenomena could and should be rooted in microeconomic agents (Vines & Wills, 2018). Because the complexity of a system can be objectively identified with value (according to Mr. Stanowski), the introduction of common and differentiating features enables quantitative analysis of relations between elements of a system. Related to Aristotle's claim (Lin, 1999) that ""the whole is more than the sum of its parts,"" Mr. Stanowski provides an explanation for why it is that ""the whole"" (system) is ""more than the sum of its parts."" Specifically, the ""more"" here stands for the emerged new features of the system when the component parts are combined into a whole, even though these parts do not possess the features. For a different while similar explanation of this Aristotle's claim, see Lin and Fan (1997). Dr. Jeffrey Yi-Lin Forrest, professor of mathematics, economics, finance and systems science; President of the International Institute for General Systems Studies. References Lin, Y. (1999). General Systems Theory: A Mathematical Approach. Plenum and Kluwer Academic Publishers. Lin, Y., Duan, X.J., Zhao, C.L., & Xu, L.D. (2012). Systems Science: Methodological Approaches. CRC Press, ISBN-10: 1439895511, ISBN-13: 978-1439895511. Lin, Y., & Fan, T.H. (1997). The fundamental structure of general systems and its relation to knowability of the physical world. Kybernetes: The International Journal of Systems and Cybernetics, 26 (3), 275-285. Vines, D., & Wills, S. (2018). The rebuilding macroeconomic theory project: An analytical assessment. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 34(1-2), 1-42."

Author Information

Mariusz Stanowski graduated from Warsaw University of Technology (1974), and Fine Arts Academy in Warsaw (1979), where he worked later as an academic teacher and designer. Currently he is a visual artist and an independent researcher. His scientific research is situated on the borderline between humanities and natural sciences, including: philosophy, art theory, cognitive science, theory of information/complexity and physics. As an artist, through paintings, defined as deconstructed, he tries to express the idea of creativity. He has exhibited in Poland and abroad, including Vikingsberg Museum of Modern Art, (Helsingborg, Sweden), Charlottenborg Palace (Kobenhavn, Danmark), and the Visual Art Museum - School of Visual Arts (New York, USA).

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