Abstract/Summary

Starting from an example of biosphere modelling, the paper considers the contribution of system dynamics to global modelling. The different purposes of modelling approaches are first considered. These are then related to a specific example—which is then seen to derive from the founding works in this area: “World Dynamics” and “The Limits To Growth.” The response to those publications is considered, both the contemporary reactions to them and the myths that have grown up around them. The paper discusses the general cultural acceptance of the perspective offered by these books and the continuing—and decidedly mixed—significance of these works to the field of system dynamics.