Some Attempts at a Remedy: Structure

Development beyond Science to Wisdom (Part #2)

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A number of approaches to alleviating this situation have been made:

• Interdisciplinary meetings, programmes, organizations, think tanks, periodicals, etc: it is now accepted that these are in most cases simply multidisciplinary aggregations of perspectives. Interdisciplinarity is viewed with disdain and suspicion in all disciplines and by all institutional divisions - however much lip service is paid to it.
• World modelling exercises have attracted much interest but do not appear to have led to any breakthrough of significance to action on the problem complex. And of course there are competing world models... a model of the real problem.
• Situation rooms are favoured by the military and some corporations. They are of course ideal for implementing a strategy where the power structure is hierarchically ordered. They are of little use in the complex world where the problem is to harmonise the relationship between competing hierarchies, respecting those whose conditions are not so effectively represented. It is noteworthy that the United Nations could not design and effectively use such a room.
• Information systems (a) have been designed to give access to a body of literature covering broad spreads of problems. This is the case with many intergovernmental agencies. Unfortunately bibliographical information seldom implies ease of access to the publication (often 'unavailable' or 'to be ordered'). On the hand 50 references do not facilitate selection. Worse still, the authors usually present conflicting or unrelated perspectives, necessitating further research (and thus perpetuating the malaise).

Other such approaches could be cited, but each is in some way blocked in its effectiveness.