Metacybernetics refers to the higher cybernetic orders that arise in living system agencies. Agencies are complex, and for them to be viable and hence survive, they require both stability and uncertainty reduction. Metacybernetics is defined through a metasystem hierarchy, and is mostly known through 1st and 2nd order cybernetics. In this exploratory paper the purpose is to create a framework that can underpin metacybernetics and explain the relationship between different cybernetic orders. The framework is built on agency theory which has both substructural and superstructural dimensions. Substructure has an interest in stability, is concerned with the generation of higher cybernetic orders, and is serviced by horizontal recursion. Superstructure is concerned with uncertainty reduction by uncovering hidden material or regulatory relationships, and is serviced by vertical recursion. Philosophical aspects to the framework are discussed, making distinction between global rationality through critical realism, and local rationality that relates to different cybernetic orders that correspond to bounding paradigms like positivism and constructivism.

中文翻译：

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元控制论：迈向高阶控制论的一般理论

元控制论是指在生命系统机构中出现的更高的控制论秩序。代理机构很复杂，要使它们能够生存并因此生存，就需要稳定和减少不确定性。元网络控制学是通过元系统层次结构来定义的，并且通过一阶和二阶控制论而广为人知。在这篇探索性论文中，目的是创建一个框架，该框架可以支持metacybernetics，并解释不同控制论顺序之间的关系。该框架建立在代理理论的基础上，代理理论具有子结构和超结构两个维度。子结构对稳定性感兴趣，与更高控制论阶的产生有关，并通过水平递归来提供服务。上层建筑通过发现隐藏的材料或法规关系来减少不确定性，并通过垂直递归提供服务。讨论了框架的哲学方面，区分了通过批判现实主义实现的全球理性与与不同控制论秩序相关的局部理性，这些控制论秩序与实证主义和建构主义等边界范式相对应。