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stevegrossi

Legibility

Tended 16 days ago (2 times) Planted 3 years ago Mentioned 1 time

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The observation that things for which a system has no concept do not exist as far as the system is concerned. This is especially dangerous when the system bears on human lives but “human welfare” is not a concept the system is concerned with.

I believe this concept was introduced by James Scott in the book Seeing Like a State

From systemantics:

we present the Fundamental Law of Administrative Workings (F.L.A.W.): THINGS ARE WHAT THEY ARE REPORTED TO BE. The observant reader has doubtless already noted various alternative formulations of this Axiom, all to the same general effect, for example: THE REAL WORLD IS WHAT IS REPORTED TO THE SYSTEM —or, in the world of Diplomacy: IF IT ISN’T OFFICIAL, IT HASN’T HAPPENED.

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