Morphogenetic System Theory as a Holistic Meta-Methodology for Socio-Technical System Evolution: A Review

Morphogenetic System Theory (MST), proposed by Germano Resconi in 1998, is a generalized system model that integrates multidisciplinary knowledge and provides a unified mathematical framework for the recording, preservation, and reconstruction of forms. Although MST has been applied in risk analysis, system identification, and image recognition, its potential as a holistic meta-methodology for analyzing the evolution of socio-technical systems has not yet been fully revealed. This paper reviews the four-decade development of MST, distills its core philosophical propositions—the unity of subjective and objective understanding, the unity of analysis and synthesis, and the primacy of structure over individual values—and positions it as a holistic alternative to reductionist approaches. Structured comparisons with seven related methods suggest MST’s capacity to capture both the formation and evolution of forms via the closed loop of write and read operations. Two case studies—learning community morphogenesis and legal morphogenesis—serve as illustrative examples of MST’s applicability in socio-technical systems. The findings indicate that MST could provide a formal, traceable, and scalable framework for quantitative morphological identification and evolution of socio-technical systems, with potential promise in education and institutional analysis. The paper also discusses the main limitations of MST and directions for future research.