Further Attempts: Destructure and Process

Development beyond Science to Wisdom (Part #3)

---

[Parts: First | Prev | Next | Last | All | PDF] [Links: To-K | From-K | From-Kx | Refs ]

---

If the above attempts are considered to be a '2nd order' approach to the situation, it is possible to identify what might be considered a '3rd order' approach:

• Think tank networks as typified by the International Federation of Institutes for Advanced Studies and possibly the more recently created institutional network of the United Nations University. But these have not yet produced any breakthroughs either and have problems in ensuring that their networks work.

• Networks of the wise as typified by the Club of Rome, the World Order Models Project, and the International Foundation for Development Alternatives. Again, although they have increased sensitivity to problems they fail to reach consensus on solutions. And, above all, they fail to produce credible and politically viable approaches to implementation. Their conclusions are not actionable except perhaps in a very limited sense.
• Process and context: abandoning organizational structures, many attempts have been made to bring the knowledgeable and/or wise together in ideal (or specially selected) environments and to facilitate by sensitive techniques the process of interaction between them. These exercises have resulted in many interesting books, and have built and maintained interpersonal relationships valuable to those involved, but cannot be said to have led to any breakthroughs.
• Networks of information systems (5): attempts have been made to interrelate the information systems of different agencies using competing classification systems, standards and hardware. This is typified by the UN Inter-Organization Board for Information Systems and Related Activities or the UNESCO/ICSU World Sciences Information System (UNISIST). Such systems, if they get beyond the policy stage, do not assist the user to find the question that he does not know he needs to ask. The user is confined to the framework from which he approaches the system.

Again it is perhaps possible to identify other 3rd order approaches, but each would be found to be blocked in its wider effectiveness.