Papernumber: #1286


Which came first, the chicken or the egg? - the investigation with ancient and modern system theories for the origin of existence


Yan HUANG



keywords: Ancient system theory, Taichi Yin-Yang system theory, Chicken or Egg, origin of existence, liveable and sustainable system, Systems Philosophy and Ethics



The question of the chicken or the egg has been explored at least since it was first formally recorded by the Greek historian Mestrius Plutarchus, born in 46AD. Could this question be investigated from a System theory point of view? In such an analysis, it is found that the origin of existence, the system, the boundary, the observer, and even the origin of existence of the observer are all inter-connected. In this paper the quest for an explanation is presented according to the Taichi Yin-Yang system theory, expressed in modern terminologies. Through the understanding of the possibile origins of existence, it is hoped that the excessive desires of human beings can be reduced, making our existence to a liveable and sustainable system, and hopefully a remarkable one.