What I consider completely sterile is the attitude, for instance, of Bertalanffy who is going around and jumping around for years saying that all the analytical science and molecular biology doesn't really get to interesting results; let's talk in terms of general systems theory... there cannot be anything such as general systems theory, it's impossible. Or, if it existed, it would be meaningless.

Monod (1974) "On chance and necessity". In F. J. Ayala & T. Dobzhansky, (Eds.), Studies in the philosophy of biology. cited in: Brian R. Gaines (1979) "General systems research: quo vadis?", General Systems, Vol. 24 (1979), p. 4