The complexity of science
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
| Field | Value | |
| Title | The complexity of science | |
| Creator | Lótter, H.P.P. (Hennie) | |
| Description | In this article an alternative philosophy of science based on ideas drawn from the study of complex adaptive systems is presented. As a result of the enormous expansion in scientific disciplines, and the number of scientists and scientific institutions in the twentieth century, I believe science can be characterised as a complex system. I want to interpret the processes of science through which scientists themselves determine what is regarded as good science. This characterisation of science as a complex system can supply an answer to the question why the sciences have been so successful in solving growing numbers of problems and correcting their own mistakes. I utilise components of complexity theory to explain and interpret science as a complex system. I first explain the concept of complexity in ordinary language. The explanation of science as a complex system starts with a definition of the basic rules guiding the behaviour of science as a complex system. Next, I indicate how various sciences have resulted through the implementation of these rules in the study of a specific aspect of reality. The explanation of the growth of science through evolutionary adaptation and learning forms the core o f the article. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 1999-12-20 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/koers.v64i4.515 | |
| Source | Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship/Bulletin vir Christelike Wetenskap; Vol 64, No 4 (1999); 499-520 2304-8557 0023-270X | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://journals.koers.aosis.co.za/index.php/koers/article/view/515/640
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