As suggested by the title of this paper, the author focuses on the fundamental concepts of systems research, its historical background and knowledge structure. He discusses achievements of the systems science made in the ancient and modern times. The author pays a closerlook at different aspects of the systems knowledge, the philosophy and the current situation and provides a list of established schools of systemic thoughts. He inquires into the position of systems studied in the scientific history. The paper concludes with a description about the future of the systems science and a list of some open problems.