Feedback, Disequilibrium, and Systemic Correction: A Five-Stage Model of Correction Capacity and Institutional Design

The first three papers in the System Logic series established the framework of systemic adequacy, the theory of boundary and time, and the analytical model of local optimization and systemic failure. This paper advances the dynamic dimension of System Logic by investigating how systems identify disequilibrium through feedback, complete correction, and form new dynamic equilibria. The central question is: when a system experiences deviation or disequilibrium, through what mechanisms does it perceive problems, transmit signals, form judgments, organize adjustment, and ultimately restore or upgrade its viability? This paper argues that systemic correction is not a single mechanism but comprises five interrelated processes: disequilibrium perception, feedback transmission, recognition and judgment, adjustment and correction, and learning and updating. Failure in any one of these links may lead to systemic failure. The paper distinguishes types of disequilibrium, analyzes the structure and pathology of feedback, proposes five conditions for correction, and discusses the relationship between systemic correction and institutional design, governance feedback, and civilizational adaptation. This paper further argues that systemic correction capacity is a core indicator of systemic adequacy. A system may maintain short-term stability, but without correction capacity, it will inevitably accumulate disequilibrium in the long term. Conversely, a system that frequently experiences fluctuations may maintain long-term adaptive capacity if it possesses effective correction mechanisms. Connecting cybernetics, complex systems science, and institutional analysis, this paper proposes a general framework for systemic correction and demonstrates it through cases from public health, financial regulation, organizational management, and ecological governance. Finally, the paper discusses theoretical boundaries and falsifiability conditions, providing foundations for subsequent research on the Systemic Impact Ledger, institutional adaptation, and civilizational risk.