Relevance Or Irrelevance Of Psychotechnics

In Poul Anderson's Psychotechnic History, far from applying a predictive science of society, the Stellar Union Coordination Service is perpetually behind in its intelligence-gathering. 

Although there are many intelligent species in the Galaxy, none is more intelligent than mankind because there is a natural limit to the complexity of nervous systems and particularly of brains. An overcomplex brain becomes unable to control itself. The same limit applies to computers and to systems of computers. Terminologically, Coordinator Trevelyan Micah refers not to "computers" but to "computing machines" (or just "machines") and "integrators." He tells Diane:

"'The overworked integrators are years behind in correlating information... A thing can grow to monstrous proportions before they learn of it.'"

-Poul Anderson, The Peregrine (New York, 1979), CHAPTER IV, p. 30.

So predictive social science has gone by the board. The Service deals not only with human colonies but also with non-human species to which the equations of psychotechnics can never have applied.

However, some aspects of psychotechnics remain applicable:

"...tediously worked-out equations indicating psychological probabilities..."

- CHAPTER VII, p. 51

- had preceded Trevelyan's approach to the Nomads. But, when those equations and his other preparations are "behind him":

"...for what followed, he had no data, no predictions -" (ibid.)

Another indication of the continued relevance of psychotechnics at least on the level of individual psychology is given when some intelligent beings are classified as:

"'...unintegrate.'"

-Poul Anderson, "The Pirate" IN Anderson, Starship (New York, 1982), pp. 211-251 AT p. 22.

The Peregrine informs us that, with the invention of the hyperdrive, many people emigrated from the Solar System because they had been made technologically redundant. This ties in with the earlier Psychotechnic History instalment, "Quixote and the Windmill." Trevelyan reminds Diane of what had happened in Terrestrial history:

"'...when there were sovereign states working at unintegrated cross-purposes.'"

-The Peregrine, CHAPTER IV, pp. 28-29.

This ties in with the suppression of nationalism and the enforcement of a UN World government in the earlier instalment, "UN-Man." However, the Coordinators are unable to enforce a unified government on a Galactic scale.

In "The Chapter Ends," Jorun not only is a psychotechnician but also is responsible to:

"...the Integrator on Corazuno..." (p. 256)

- so there are some connections between this story and earlier instalments.