"The rejection of reductionism and the stress on creativity and organized complexity of human behavior within the context of culture led von Bertalanffy to assert that the human organism was unique and different from animal organisms. Man was unique by the fact that he lived in a world of symbols, or rather in several worlds of symbols. He interposed a world of symbols between himself and the world of physical objects. The most appropriate designation of man was that he was 'homo symbolicus.'"

"According to von Bertalanffy although human behavior was controlled to some extent by physical stimuli and physiological drives, it was controlled even to a greater extent by systems of symbols and values which were his creation. However once created they became a part of culture, had dynamisms and inertia of their own, and could take control of man's behavior. Symbols were not conditioned stimuli or signs. The latter were environmental physical events which became associated by contiguity with biologically significant object. They were imposed on man from outside. In contrast symbols were created by man himself and posited by him to signify, or stand for, objects and events of the external world. Their role was more than just to signify objects or events, but also to endow them with surplus meaning determined by the total system of symbols. This capacity to create systems of symbols, and to interpose them between the subject and the external world was unique to the human species."

"According to von Bertalanffy the consequences that man was symbolic animal were immense. Biological evolution which was determined in other animal species by genetic changes was superseded in human species by cultural history based on the accumulation of experience handed down from one generation to another. In addition to the accumulation of experience cultural history was characterized by the development of symbolic skills and symbolic systems." (S3.11)

Slots and Values
source	Unnamed
ref	p14, s3.10