Science, Strategy and War The Strategic Theory of ... - Boekje Pienter

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destruction and creation to his investigation, he uncovers underlying dynamics of each modeof warfare and expresses these in an increasingly abstract and conceptual way. It implicitlymanifests an increasing application of systems-theoretical perspectives. Expressed within thecontext of adaptation, he shows conceptual similarities between very distinct modes ofwarfare. Gradually he unfolds a novel conceptualization of tactics, grand tactics, strategy andgrand strategy that revolves around the process of adaptation in which open, complexadaptive systems are constantly engaged in. Already it has thus become evident that Boyd’swork contains much more than “only” the rapid OODA loop idea. Patterns shows Boyd paysattention to the different levels of war and to different modes of warfare. It addresses theintimate connection between the physical, mental and moral dimensions of war. Moreover,it shows a constant focus on cohesion and highlights various methods to decrease enemycohesion at the different levels of war. The following presentations will reinforce theimpression that Boyd’s work is indeed comprehensive and focussed on the theme ofadaptation.232
7. EXPLORATION AND REFINEMENTIntroductionBefore starting the detailed description of the five remaining presentations, a review ofBoyd’s own shorthand description of the essence of the various presentations helpspositioning each of them. In Destruction and Creation Boyd lays out in abstract but graphicfashion the ways by which we evolve mental concepts to comprehend and cope with ourenvironment. Patterns of Conflict represents a compendium of ideas and actions for winningand losing in a highly competitive world. In the following presentation titled Organic Design forCommand and Control Boyd continues on the argument he laid out in Patterns, but nowfocussing on the implicit arrangements that permit cooperation in complex, competitive, fastmoving situations. The Strategic Game of ? and ? emphasizes the mental twists and turns weundertake to surface appropriate schemes or designs for realizing our aims or purposes. Itaims to uncover even more fundamental abstract dynamics than he has presented in Patterns.In Revelation Boyd makes visible the metaphorical message that flows from the Discourse. It isa restatement of the message of Destruction and Creation, which again he explores in detail andin less philosophical terms in The Conceptual Spiral. In the final presentation, The Essence ofWinning and Losing, Boyd synthesizes for the last time in even more condenced form the coremessages in a coherent comprehensive framework. In just few pages and a graphic renderingof the OODA loop, he manages to merge Polanyi, Kuhn, Popper, Gell-Mann, Sun Tzu,Liddell Hart. It shows once more and very clearly that the narrow interpretation of Boyd’swork, equating the message of A Discourse with rapid OODA looping, is incomplete andinaccurate.IntroductionOrganic Design for Command and ControlWhereas isolation of the opponent from his environment (across all levels of organization)was the theme of the previous briefing, interaction is the theme of this one. As Boyd hasalready argued, only open systems can adapt adequately to change. An organism needs tomaintain interaction with its environment if it is to survive. In military organizations this isresponsibility of the command and control system. In Organic Design for Command and ControlBoyd develops the parameters for an adequate command and control concept. It will comeas no surprise that the briefing reflects insights of Patterns of Conflict, in particular from thesections on Blitzkrieg and maneuver conflict. It also reflects the influence of several studieson leadership, command and small unit cohesion Boyd had read. The bibliography of Patternsof Conflict of December 1986 lists studies on generals Bonaparte, Grant, Lee, Patton, GenghisKahn, Guderian, the Prussian general staff system, German generalship during World WarII, tactical genius, morale, several case studies on command and control and autobiographicalworks of generals Erwin Rommel and Heinz Guderian 1 .1 Various sources have already been mentioned in footnotes in the previous chapter. Here it isworthwhile to note the following works that appear in Boyd’s bibliography: David Downing, TheDevil's Virtuosos: German Generals at War 1940-1945 (1977); T.N. Dupuy, The Military Life of Genghis,233
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Science, Strategy and WarThe Strate
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We are survival machines.Richard Da
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CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION............
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Introduction.......................
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1. INTRODUCTIONTo flourish and grow
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testing of the decision selected by
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momentum and tempo, which in combin
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tracing the history of war Boyd saw
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in general. Referring to Karl Poppe
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constitute an argument about strate
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2. ON STRATEGY AND STRATEGIC THEORY
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its internal make up and the dynami
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strategist’s task is not to creat
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must be holistic, paying due respec
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Such a division can also be discern
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sensibility that would be capable o
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Why strategic theorizing is difficu
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truth is independent of human belie
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policy, is policy’ 107 . Subseque
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of systems of thought which will gu
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Science and Strategic TheoryDominan
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the major intellectual currents tha
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friction, which is infused with the
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3. THE SEEDS OF A THEORY AND THE FE
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Slowly his writings matured. In 196
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This situation also reflected the d
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at the cost of airspeed depletion)
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and air power theorists are notably
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Lawrence wrote Liddell Hart that fo
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The Indirect ApproachThe foregoing
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in weakening the opponent’s will
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standing in a direct theoretical li
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perfect information, so Chapter 9 r
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According with the enemy is the ass
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preconceived battle plan depends up
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mental or moral, instead they aim t
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calculation, based on the assumptio
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Turbulent environmentThis convictio
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the introduction of the M1 Abrams t
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campaign with which it was most com
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The debates resulted via the improv
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emphasized being more responsive, a
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4. SCIENCE: BOYD’S FOUNTAINKnowle
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The list exceeds 20 pages. Indeed,
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counter-culture. He had read severa
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Popper’s Evolutionary Epistemolog
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species. Finally, theories, unlike
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discovery’ 39 . ‘We have here t
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for failure and an encouragement fo
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investigated and a change of the ru
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Paradigm shiftBeyond NewtonIn the p
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philosophical aspects, Prigogine an
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uncertainty in another “conjugate
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The link between thermodynamics and
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As Ludwig Bertalanffy noted, the gr
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assessing deviation from coursecoun
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the system by the environment or ot
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A slightly more complex model from
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implementation of the right program
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The model below shows this process
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The process of learning, and the pr
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Positive indicatorsNegative indicat
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In Patterns of Conflict he also emp
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progressed and developed a new lang
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advances in knowledge, adaptation,
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TraditionalReductionismLinear causa
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exist only because they are open. T
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Concentration of chemical ANew stab
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It preserves the web-like pattern o
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Orientation shapes the character of
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either. The edge of chaos is where
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The final region is the boundary be
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Levels of adaptationThis naturally
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Operate inside adversary’s OODA l
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Organisms which are internally cons
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The last mentioned feature implies
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mathematics, in short chaos and com
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Such efforts have lead to suggestio
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processes are maintained simultaneo
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Boyd’s views on command and contr
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Several of these ideas surface in B
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problems they seek to comprehend or
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ehavior in reaction to what the oth
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sciences, which he termed a new int
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egulations, orders, and other means
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as focus for military planning on t
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A Discourse and the scientific Zeit
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Sharpening our mental capabilities
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perceive it’ 184 . By trying to c
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Ensure a large variety of conceptua
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The main intent of the effort is to
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e true. Thus tested and refined, it
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particulars or we can start with th
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inconsistencies may emerge to stifl
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Page 194 and 195: eality 29 . As indicated earlier, t
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Page 202 and 203: Boyd does not find fault with these
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Page 210 and 211: Blitzkrieg disrupts the connections
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Page 214 and 215: Only the fourth condition relates t
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Page 222 and 223: In light of his previous observatio
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Page 226 and 227: This then leads to the second wrap-
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Page 230 and 231: dimension on the behavior of a stra
Page 232 and 233: Theme for Disintegration and Collap
Page 234 and 235: Strategic AimDiminish adversary’s
Page 236 and 237: ApplicationRevisiting Sun Tzu, rein
Page 238 and 239: The general underlying idea of Coun
Page 240 and 241: to victory by connecting them to th
Page 244 and 245: Boyd’s inspiration also came in p
Page 246 and 247: The Big O: Orientation.The ensuing
Page 248 and 249: implicit cross-referencing process
Page 250 and 251: Magnify adversary’s friction and
Page 252 and 253: This differs from traditional views
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Page 256 and 257: General SurveyIn this section his i
Page 258 and 259: city, however, the situation is qui
Page 260 and 261: “Destruction and Creation”, by
Page 262 and 263: So Boyd discerns within the adversa
Page 264 and 265: On isolation and interactionPhysica
Page 266 and 267: The Art of Success:Shape or influen
Page 268 and 269: The meaning of strategy and the art
Page 270 and 271: however is not much different, but
Page 272 and 273: Examples from EngineeringSome Outst
Page 274 and 275: words, in order to gain a richer im
Page 276 and 277: what applies to science and enginee
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Page 280 and 281: The real OODA loop270
Page 282 and 283: This relates the OODA loop clearly
Page 284 and 285: for a process of learning, of evolv
Page 286 and 287: thing any system is constantly faci
Page 288 and 289: communication and explicit directio
Page 290 and 291: 8. CONCLUSIONThe history of science
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found himself in. To Sun Tzu Boyd a
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strategy. He elaborates on several
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ehavior, demonstrating the value of
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film, sociology, geography, literar
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That social scientific knowledge, o
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undertakes to improve its own perfo
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The reflexive nature of modern soci
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the context within which the situat
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“road maps for action”, but rat
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all point at the changes the techno
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central sign of post-modernity. In
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a revolution in military affairs oc
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This will affect war and warfare:
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Athena’s Camp. They see swarming
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commanders to improve their decisio
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Military War Beyond Military War No
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schemas. Gell-Mann developed the id
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extent in the novel approach for th
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ANNEX B: BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PATTERNS O
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LeBoeuf, Michael, “GMP, The Great
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Wolf, Eric R., “Peasant Wars of t
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Bartolomasi, Paolo: ‘The Realitie
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Cohen, William S.: Report of the Qu
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Fukuyama, Francis: The Great Disrup
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Hughes, Daniel: ‘Abuses of German
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Lewin, Roger, and Birute Regine:
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Murdock, Paul, ‘Principles of War
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Rosenau, James, N.: ‘Many Damn Th
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Walt, Stephen M.: ‘Rigor or Rigor
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