1st Edition
Systems Thinking, Critical Realism and Philosophy A Confluence of Ideas
By John Mingers
Copyright 2014
282 Pages
6 B/W Illustrations
by
Routledge
268 Pages
6 B/W Illustrations
by
Routledge
268 Pages
6 B/W Illustrations
by
Routledge
Also available as eBook on:
Systems Thinking, Critical Realism and Philosophy: A Confluence of Ideas seeks to re-address the whole question of philosophy and systems thinking for the twenty first century and provide a new work that would be of value to both systems and philosophy. This is a highly opportune time when different fields – critical realism, philosophy of science and systems thinking – are all developing... Read more
PART 1 FOUNDATIONS 1. Introduction 2. Philosophical Foundations: Critical Realism 3. Systems Thinking and Critical Realism PART 2 ONTOLOGICAL ISSUES 4. Explanatory Mechanisms 5. Emergence, Generative Powers and Causality 6. Can Social Systems be Autopoietic? PART 3 EPISTEMOLOGICAL ISSUES 7. Observing Systems: The Question of Boundaries 8. Knowledge and Forms of Truth PART 4 PRACTICAL ISSUES 9. Methodology: What Might We Do 10. Ethics: What Should We Do? 11. Conclusion
Biography
John Mingers is Professor of Operational Research and Systems at Kent Business School, University of Kent. He is Deputy Director of the business school and Director of Research. He is a past Chair of the UK Systems Society and has been a member of the Council of the OR Society. John Mingers studied Management Sciences for his first degree at Warwick and later completed a Masters in Systems in Management at Lancaster University and a PhD at Warwick. He also worked in industry as a systems analyst and then as an OR analyst.
