Interdisciplinary research as methodologically and substantively creative (original) (raw)
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academia.edu, 2019
The fundamental thesis is advanced that key notions associated with unavoidable and inherent dynamic nonlinearities, fuzziness, incompleteness, indeterminacy, inexactness, approximations, uncertainty, risks, and heterogeneity (differences, dissimilarities, varieties, diversity) in Nature (in Physical, Biological and Social Systems) constitute the central components of a New Epistemology. These notions and associated concepts form the structure of a new paradigm that cuts across all Sciences (Physical, Biological and Social) and the Humanities. In addition, and under a new perspective regarding the observer’s perception of Time and Reality, speculative behavior is introduced as a basic element of action, exercised by physical and biological agents in Nature. Actions are based on various models that agents or agencies for action either are programmed to contain or develop by experience and Evolution. In case of humans, these expectations are based on perceptions humans have about parts of Nature, covering the entire gamut, from sophisticated to overly simplistic, and even preposterous. Speculative actions are also based on these agents’ desires. In thus extending the Science of all Sciences (Epistemology) the new thesis advances and goes far beyond the Kuhnian notion of "scientific revolutions".
"‘Constructivism’ encompasses a variety of intellectual traditions concerned with the social, subjective, cognitive, technological and linguistic processes involved in the construction of lay and scientific knowledge. These encompass contributions in psychology, psychiatry, anthropology and education challenging traditional approaches to learning, communication and change, and traditions in philosophy and social studies of science questioning objectivism. Constructivism and constructionism as terms are often used interchangeably in the literature, the first term being preferred in psychology and educational studies, the second in sociology. Over the past 40 years, constructivism/constructionism has also been of continuing interest in qualitative social research, alongside increased recognition of the subjective, social and discursive texture of human experience, practice and artifacts. Despite differences, several common themes outline the contours of constructivist traditions. These traditions are skeptical towards empiricist foundations of knowledge and towards claims of the objectivity and value neutrality of scientific methods. They particularly question the existence of an external and already determined world and social reality, independent of any human knowledge, action or activity (ontological realism). Although focusing on interactions and communication practices, most constructivist traditions question the distinction between (and independences of) a knowing subject and an object to be known. This has been argued on the one hand to conflate ontology and epistemology, or on the other to subsume ontology into epistemology, as a result. Factual and scientific knowledge are seen as problematic constructions which, depending on perspectives, are viewed as the product of mental processes, technology, linguistic and social practices or repertoires. The purpose of both lay and scientific knowledge construction is to provide useful, adequate, coherent, stable or meaningful representations of the world in accordance with particular sets of systemic or socio-linguistic rules and constraints in given contexts."