I’m exploring one of the most fascinating aspects of Heinz von Foerster’s work: his complete rejection of philosophical labels and -isms. Von Foerster, the Austrian-American physicist and cybernetician, in his later years didn’t want to be pinned down by any single philosophical position. This wasn’t philosophical indecision but a carefully crafted stance that reflected his deepest insights about observation, responsibility, and the nature of knowledge itself.

Von Foerster’s view that he was an -ist only of the -ism he could laugh at. Although there’s no definitive record of this exact phrase, in my opinion it perfectly captures his approach to philosophical thinking. He would only commit to philosophical positions that he could maintain with lightness and humor, positions that didn’t take themselves too seriously. This prevented his thinking from becoming rigid or dogmatic. He treated thought as an ongoing exploration, not a fixed doctrine.

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