Defining Cybernetics: Reflections on the Science of Governance

Cybernetics, as defined by Plato and later by Andr?-Marie Amp?re, is the science of governance. In the 1940s, Norbert Wiener used cybernetics as an umbrella term to cover control and communication in animals and machines. Later, the term was defined in various ways by different researchers, and, for this reason, cybernetics has been perceived rather generally as a "nomad science." In our time, few people understand the true meaning of cybernetics. For the healthy development of the field, we think it is necessary to reconsider the meaning and the scope of cybernetics so that we can have a relatively clear mission in our research. In this article, we try to provide a sort of governance message that can be advisory but nevertheless helpful for the cybernetics community to become cybernetic itself.