Abstract
The stuff of applied disciplines such as OR/MS is what epistemologists call the ’context of application’, in distinction to the so-called ’context of justification’. Epistemologists such as Karl R. Popper (1961, 1968, 1972) have claimed that the context in which science is applied is relatively irrelevant for the justification of its propositions. In distinction to this position, I propose to understand — and indeed define — applied science as the study of contexts of application. Of course this definition renders the distinction between the two contexts obsolete. From an applied- science point of view, the distinction is really quite inadequate: To justify the propositions of applied science can only mean to justify its effects upon the context of application under study. The key problem that makes applied science, as compared to basic science, so difficult to justify lies in the normative content that its propositions gain in the context of application.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Habermas J., 1971, Vorbereitende Benerkungen zu einer Theorie der kommunikativen Kompetenz, in: “Theorie der Gesellschaft oder Sozialtechnologie-Was leistet die Systemforschung?”, Habermas J. and Luhmann N., eds., Suhrkamp, Frankfurt.
Habermas J., 1973, Wahrheits theorin, in: “Wirklichkeit und Reflexion”, Fahrenbach H., ed., Neske, Pfullingen.
Habermas J., 1975, A postscript to Knowledge and Human Interests, Phil.Soc.Sci., 3: 157.
Habermas J., 1979, What is universal pragmatics?, in: “Communication and the Evolution of Society”, Habermas J., ed., Beacon Press, Boston.
Jackson M.C., 1985, The itinerary of a critical approach, Jnl.Op.Res.Soc., 36: 878.
Kant I., 1787, “Critique of Pure Reason”, translated by N.K.Smith, 1965, St. Martin’s Press, New York.
Lorenzen P., 1969, “Normative Logica and Ethics”, Bibliographisches Institut, Mannheim.
Lorenzen P. and Schwemmer 0., 1975, “Konstruktive Logik, Ethik und Wissenschaftstheorie”, Bibliographisches Institut, Mannheim.
McCarthy T., 1978, “The Critical Theory of Jurgen Habermas”, MIT Press, Cambridge.
Popper K.R., 1961, “The Logic of Scientific Discovery”, Basic Books, New York.
Popper K.R., 1968, “Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge”, Basic Books, New York.
Popper K.R., 1972, “Objective Knowledge”, Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Ulrich W., 1981, A critique of pure cybernetic reason: the Chilean experience with cybernetics, Jnl.Appl.Syst.Anal., 8: 33.
Ulrich W., 1983, “Critical Heuristics of Social Planning: a New Approach to Practical Philosophy”, Haupt, Bern.
Ulrich W., 1984, Management oder die Kunst, Entscheidungen zu treffen, die andere betreffen, Die Unternehmung, Schweizerische Zeitschrift ftlr betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung und Praxis, 38:326.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1989 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ulrich, W. (1989). Critical Heuristics of Social Systems Design. In: Jackson, M.C., Keys, P., Cropper, S.A. (eds) Operational Research and the Social Sciences. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0789-1_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0789-1_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8083-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0789-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive