“THE LITERARY MONKEYS” A VIEWPOINT (PATTERNS AND SYSTEMS)

The fable of the monkey, which by sheer chance recreates a masterpiece of literature, is discussed in general terms. It is demonstrated that the general properties of structural characteristics can be derived directly from the study of interacting structures. Characteristics are indivisible entities defined in relation to test objects; the borderlines are not accurately definable. It is argued that structures, which are integrated in a well‐defined system, have their own quantitatively variable but by no means random characteristics. It is concluded that investigations of properties of an object, which neglect structural interactions and relationships, may lead to difficulties in defining its characteristics.