Systems thinking, complexity and the philosophy of science

Emergence: Complexity and Organization 10 (4):55-73 (2006)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

It is usually assumed in debates about systems thinking, complexity and the philosophy of science that science is primarily about observation. However, the starting point for this paper is intervention, defined as purposeful action by an agent to create change. While some authors suggest that intervention and observation are opposites, it is argued here that observation should be viewed as just one type of intervention. We should therefore welcome scientific techniques of observation into a pluralistic set of intervention methods, alongside methods for exploring values, reflecting on subjective understandings, planning future activities, etc. However, there is a need to explicitly counter a possible pernicious interpretation of this argument: intervention could be viewed as flawlessly pre-planned change based on accurate predictions of the consequences of action. This is the mechanistic world-view that systems thinking and complexity science seek to challenge. Therefore, having redefined scientific observation as intervention, the paper revisits insights from systems thinking and complexity to propose a methodology of systemic intervention. Some brief reflections are then provided on the wider social implications of this methodology.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Complexity: life at the edge of chaos.Roger Lewin - 1993 - New York: Maxwell Macmillan International.
Systems Thinking: A Philosophy of Management.Paul Dearey - 2002 - Philosophy of Management 2 (3):73-82.
Complexity in medicine and healthcare: people and systems, theory and practice.Andrew Miles - 2009 - Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 15 (3):409-410.
Complexity and systems thinking.Yasmin Merali & Peter Allen - 2011 - In Peter Allen, Steve Maguire & Bill McKelvey (eds.), The Sage Handbook of Complexity and Management. Sage Publications. pp. 31--52.
Why utilize complexity principles in social inquiry?Lesley Kuhn - 2007 - World Futures 63 (3 & 4):156 – 175.
Complexity and sustainability.Jennifer Wells - 2013 - New York: Routledge.

Analytics

Added to PP
2013-12-26

Downloads
47 (#298,872)

6 months
6 (#202,901)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references