# Self-Propagating Systems A self-propagating system is a system that tends to promote its ow n survival and propagation. A hive of honeybees is a typical examp le. A nation, a corporation, a labor union, a political party, a s chool of thought, a social network, and a subculture are also self -propagating system. I knew this concept by reading "Anti-Tech Rev olution: Why and How" by Ted Kaczynski. He used this concept only for arguing why global technological sys tem will lead us a disaster, but I think this is a more valuable c oncept. This concept shows us the recursive nature of the world. > As above, so below > > Emerald Tablet Recursive means the whole and its parts have self-similarity. In r ecursion, we deal with the whole by referencing its self-similar p arts. For example, we can recursively define the factorial functio n as n! = n * (n-1)!, 0! = 1. In this case, (n-1)! is a self-simil ar part of n!. To say exatly, a self-propagating is rather corecursion than recur sion. "Co" means categorical dual. Recursion is an analyzation, bu t corecursion is a generation. In the last example, a corecursive definition of the factorial function is 0! = 1, n * (n-1)! = n!. T he recursive definition ends at 0!, but the corecursive definition starts at 0!. Although those are different, if we see them from th e perspective of self-similarity, both deal with a self-similar st ructure. So I will say recursive, not corecursive. The world is recursive. A cell is a self-prop system. It does self -replicating by dividing itself. An individual is a society of cel ls, but is also a self-prop system. Then individuals make a family , an organization, a society, a species, an ecosystem. These self- prop systems have self-similarity, so they are recursive. For anot her example, quarks make a proton and a neutron. protons and neutr ons make a nuclear. a nuclear and electrons make an atom. Atoms ma kes chemicals. At the end, galaxy comes. These are self-prop syste ms. Quarks have strong force to form a nuclear. A nuclear and elec trons have electromagnetic force to form an atom. A planet have it s gravity to form a system, like the solar system. These examples are physical, but I think mental and spiritual domains are recursi ve too. For example, Marx once defined capital as self-expansion o f value. Then some questions come out. How a self-prop system relates to a recursive structure? It is clear that a self-prop system make a re cursive structure. Is the converse true? We can't describe a self- similarity by a recursion if there is no end case, i.e. 0! = 1. Bu t in a corecursion there is only the start case, not the end case. It could not end in a finite time. So I think the converse could b e possible, but I'm not sure. Also, self-propagating is a form of corecursion. So even if it is possible for a corecursion, it could be impossible for self-propagating. The relations between two are also interesting. Ted Kaczynski also refered natural selection within the context of self-prop systems. Self-prop systems, recursive structures and nat ural selection are closely related. From what I found on wikipedia , Universal Darwinism deals with non-biological applications of Da rwinism such as Cosmological natural selection. But I couldn't fin d much reference on recursive structures from that. A complex adap tive system (CAS) refers self-similarity, but it does not emphasiz e that. This relations seem really interesting to research. I thin k it could lead the truly unified understading of the world.