Rashevsky’s dream: A physico-mathematical foundation of history and culture

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.13.21763

Keywords:

psychohistory, cliodynamics, culturomics

Abstract

The popular science fiction series Foundation penned by Isaac Asimov explores the idea that the course of the future of societies is not only predictable but can be engineered as well. In Asimov’s fictional world, a multidisciplinary science called psychohistory combines mathematics, psychology, and history to predict future events. Nicolas Rashevsky, the father of mathematical biology, lent credibility to the existence of universal principles underpinning human cultural evolution using mathematical models. His vision remains to be fully realized, as our capacity to predict and even engineer is very fragmented. Two main obstacles are a misunderstanding of the role of mathematical models and the limitations of current datasets. Recent advances in complex systems research, computer-based simulations, and large-scale databases, are paving the way towards fully developing a mathematical theory of human history.

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Author Biographies

Salva Duran-Nebreda, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC

Postdoctoral researcher at the Evolution of Networks Lab, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC) (Spain). His interests include synthetic biology, tissue architecture, complex systems, and ecological networks.

Sergi Valverde, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC

CSIC networks researcher and head of the Evolution of Networks Lab, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC) (Spain), and researcher at the European Center for Living Technology in Venice (Italy). His research is mainly based on the theory of complex networks, complex systems and theoretical ecology.

References

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Published

2023-02-23

How to Cite

Duran-Nebreda, S., & Valverde, S. (2023). Rashevsky’s dream: A physico-mathematical foundation of history and culture. Metode Science Studies Journal, (13), 85–90. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.13.21763
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Issue

Science. The genesis of ideas (vol. 13, 2023)

Section

Assembled life: A natural history of societies

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