Wisdom, Knowledge, And Management

by Van Gigch, John P.; McIntyre-Mills, Janet J. (COL)

• ISBN13: 9780387353890
• ISBN10: 0387353895
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-12-30
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

In Wisdom, Knowledge, and Management, the 2nd volume of the series: Churchman's Legacy and Related Works, the editors draw contributions from leading systems thinkers inspired by the works of C West Churchman.The Systems Approach and Its Enemies (C. West Churchman, 1979) is one of Churchman's most significant works. In this particular writing he displayed two main tendencies, that he was a Skeptic and that he showed Socratic Wisdom. In Wisdom, Knowledge, and Management, the editors seeks to follow up on these two themes and reveal how modern authors interpret Churchman's ideas, apply them to their own line of thinking and develop their own brand of Systemics.Several authors re-interpret Churchman's thinking and several others apply this holistic discourse to practical applications. It is very significant that the authors are a very cosmopolitan group: hailing from Sweden, Australia, Spain, South Korea, Argentina and USA. Interestingly, the contribution from the South Korean author, Yu Jae E, applies conceptual tools from the French contemporary writer, Deleuze. Additionally, Darek M. Eriksson's chapter applies the epistemology of Jean-Louis Le Moigne.Finally, we would like to note that one theme of this volume is to relate modern authors, and in particular Churchman, to ideas spawned two thousands years ago among the Ancient Greeks.This effort should show the reach of Churchman's intellectual power and demonstrates cross-fertilization across borders and continents. It could not have happened without the Internet.

Author Biography

John P. van Gigch is the Series Editor for the Book Series Churchman's Legacy and Related Works which he was instrumental in getting started. van Gigch knew West Churchman as well as his family personally. Churchman wrote an Introduction for van Gigch's Applied General System Theory which was published in 1974, with a Second Edition in 1978. van Gigch remained close to West Churchman after the latter retired from the University of California-Berkeley. Right to the end, they celebrated several of West's birthdays together. 

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
van Gigch, J.P.
Prologue	xv
McIntyre-Mills, J.
Summary of the Contents	xxxi
van Gigch, J.P.
A. Steps Toward a Reflexive, Complex and Evolving Approach: Wisdom, Knowledge and Management
Progress Achieving C. West Churchman's Epistemological Program: The Implementation of Science of Science and of Science of Ethics	1	(14)
van Gigch, J.P.
The Paradigm of the Science of Management and of Management Science	15	(12)
van Gigch, J.P.
Churchman's Contributions to the Advancement of Management Science	27	(6)
Agrell, P. S.
Leonarz, B.
Expanding Churchman's Philosophical Discourse: New Perspective	33	(14)
Agrell, P. S.
B. Skepticism, Truth, Certitude and Wicked Problems
Certitude in a Post-Modern World? A Coherent Evolutionary Story	47	(34)
Bausch, K.
Addressing Complex Decision Problems in Distributed Environments: An Integrated Inquiring Systems and Sensemaking Perspective	81	(24)
Paul, D.
Epistemic Humility: A View from the Philosophy of Science	105	(36)
Matthews, D.
C. Setting The Tone: The Importance of Ethics
In Search of an Ethical Science	141	(20)
van Gigch, J.P.
Koenigsberg, E.
Burton, D.
Ethics and Enlightened Personal Responsibility	161	(8)
Francois, C.
May the Whole Earth Be Happy: Loka Samastat Sukhino Bhavantu Festschrift in Honor of C. West Churchman	169	(14)
Beer, S.
D. Entrepreneurship
An Outline of a Descriptive Theory of the Enterprise	183	(22)
Eriksson, D.
Organizational Efficiency and Values	205	(22)
Parra-Luna, F.
E. New Paradigms: Applications of the Science of Management to Governance and Managerial Practice
Molar and Molecular Identity and Politics	227	(42)
McIntyre-Mills, J.
Education for Engages Citizenship	269	(10)
Hammond, D.
Dialogue For Conscious Evolution	279	(26)
Christakis, A. N.
F. The Use of New Metaphors to Refocus the Managerial Discourse
Making Friends of Enemies	305	(26)
Yu, J.E.
The Application of an Epistemological Inquiry to Increase Our Understanding of Complex Issues: Enlarging Churchman's Circle of Enemies	331	(16)
van Gigch, J.P.
Epilogue: Working The Boundaries of International Relations and Governance' Through Empathy, Listening and Questioning	347
McIntyre-Mills, J.
van Gigch, J.P.