Self-Altering Systems

Abstract

The paper argues that self-altering processes are to a large extent characteristic of social life, and this fact calls for new methodological approaches and analytical tools in social science and societal planning. A cybernetic and decision-ma king model is utilized in the context of particular social structures to describe and analyze the influence on self-altering phenomena of differences in knowledge, interests, and action capabilities among actors in a social system. The paper particularly focuses on self-fulfilling and self-defeating prophesies and predictions. Certain aspects of the analysis relevant to social science methodology and societal planning are discussed, and, in particular, a dialogue model of the relationships between scientists and a self-governed society is introduced.