Liberty in Identity: Organising Freedom in Viable Societies

Abstract

This article explores the convergence between organisational cybernetics and libertarianism, focusing on their shared organizational characteristics. The research uses comparative textual analysis and a general review format, focusing on texts from the European Libertarian tradition. The findings reveal that both libertarian organisational theory and the Viable System Model emphasize self-organisation, federative structures, and non-hierarchical governance. These characteristics support spontaneous order, mutual aid, and resilience, positioning cybernetics as a practical foundation for libertarian organisations. The research also highlights the potential of technology to facilitate voluntary cooperation and decentralized decision-making within non-hierarchical systems. This article offers a novel perspective by integrating cybernetic ideas with libertarian thought, providing fresh insights into non-hierarchical, cooperative organisational models. It contributes to the discourse on socio-political cybernetics by conceptualising heuristics for designing liberty-oriented organisations, expanding the applicability of cybernetic theories within political and social organisational studies.

Keywords: Organisational Cybernetics, Libertarian Theory, Viable System Model (VSM), Decentralized Governance, Self-Organisation

JEL Classification: D23, P13, J54