Paradigms of Thought in the Fuzzy and Classical Epistemic Systems under Knowledge Production

Abstract

We have argued from the position of either the theory of complex systems or synergetics in the conceptual system of the knowledge square, that besides the epistemic indifference of the content of the knowledge areas, all areas of knowledge production share in common, the input of defective information structure. The defective information structure is composed of fuzzy information deformity that gives rise to fuzzy uncertainty and information incompleteness deformity that gives rise to stochastic uncertainty from the possibility and probability spaces respectively. In fact, the available toolbox and the logic composed of possibilistic and probabilistic reasoning to deal with these uncertainties are not different in substance and computational structure, except perhaps in style. For the benefit of further differentiations of knowledge areas and new ones that may arise in the future, it is useful to examine the conditions of inexactness of exact science and then the exactness of inexact science. In this respect, some essential working definitions are needed.