Abstract
As was said in the Foreword, the ideas and thoughts presented in the book rather constitute an unfinished project or, if the readers prefer, an unended quest. Yet, the notion that human agents need to be engaged in problem-solving as part of their intellectual development is an old one, going back to Aristotle who wrote about the “development of talents” (Phelps 2009). In light of the discussion in the previous chapters, one can detect a strong knowledge synthesis component in real-world problem-solving. Knowledge synthesis institutes a broad framework in which different sets of mental entities describing constituent phenomena in the individual disciplines are integrated to solve the composite in situ problem under conditions of multisourced uncertainty. In general, description, explanation, and prediction can be all essential elements of a composite solution. As a result of these considerations, some readers may detect some similarity between the knowledge synthesis perspective of IPS and the Quinean interpretation of problem-solution as a “matrix” or “integrated body” of multidisciplinary KBs. The Quinean “matrix” can be changed or adapted in light of new evidence or as a result of a revision in the agent’s thinking style. The “matrix” allows epistemic pluralism, i.e., the adequate formulation and understanding of a specified problem may involve distinct data sources and methods of producing knowledge. An Epibraimatics premise is that the accommodation of this plurality could lead to more successful IPS.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
In a memorable production by L. Luchino Visconti at La Scala in 1955.
- 2.
Space-time for thought may be a more appropriate characterization in many cases.
- 3.
For example, integration with apparently disparate or even antithetical intellectual domains (such as philosophy, psychology, literature, history, and art) could be a source of inspiration in a state of limited conceptual advancement and creativity. In Section 9.4 we saw that health science is another field that could benefit from a space-time for thought in the form of a marketplace of ideas.
- 4.
One could not really agree with Edward De Bono’s suggestion that, “When the world was full of speculation and fantasy, this obsession with truth served society very well…Today’s society is not so full of fantasy” (De Bono, 2009: 114). On the contrary, there is plenty of evidence that the world today is full of mass media created fantasies, social simulacra, and consumerism obsessions. To quote the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, “The truth becomes almost impossible to communicate because total frankness, relayed in the shortland of the mass media, becomes simply a weapon in the hands of opponents” (Tony Blair, The Times, 24 November 1987). All this makes truth an extremely valuable ingredient of human existence, and the search for truth an urgent inquiry during the Decadent phase of civilization we live in.
- 5.
Again, see section on “The Shadow Epistemology,” Section 1.4.
- 6.
Socrates last day on earth is vividly described in Plato’s dialogue Phaedo.
- 7.
It has been reported that after admitting that the Earth did not move, the great man said under his breath, “But it does move.”
- 8.
“Socially inappropriate,” “uncivil behavior” etc. are some of the phrases used for the same purpose.
- 9.
The Directorate Z of the old Soviet Union’s KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoı Bezopasnosti), i.e., Intelligence and Internal Security Agency, was responsible for censorship and internal security against artistic, political, scientific, and religious dissensions.
- 10.
Which is what Protagoras probably meant when he declared that, “Man is the measure of all things” (Fuller, 2006: 10).
References
Adorno, T. (2005). Minima moralia. London, UK: Verso.
Baudrillard, J. (2001). Impossible exchange. London, UK: Verso.
Castoriadis, C. (1996). La montee de l’insignificance. Paris, France: Editions du Seuil.
Chaitin, G. (2005). Meta math! New York: Vintage Books.
De Bono, E. (2009). Think! Before it’s too late. London, UK: Vermilion.
Denzin, N. K. (1970). The research act in sociology. Chicago, Ill: Aldine.
Fuller, S. (2006). The intellectual. Cambridge, UK: Icon Books.
Havel, V. (1990). The power of the powerless. Armark, NY: M. E. Sharpe Inc.
Holland, T. (2007). Persian fire: the first world empire and the battle for the west. New York: Anchor Books.
Jakobsen, C. H., Hels, T., & McLaughlin, W. J. (2004). Barriers and facilitators to integration among scientists in transdisciplinary landscape analysis: A cross-country comparison. Forest Policy and Economics, 6, 15–31.
Klein, J. T. (1996). Crossing boundaries: knowledge, disciplinarities, and interdisciplinarities. Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia.
Lele, S., & Norgaard, R. B. (2005). Practicing interdisciplinarity. Bioscience, 55, 967–975.
Martin, T. W. (2007). Scientific literacy and the habit of discourse. SEED Magazine, 12, 76–77.
Phelps, E. S. (2009). Capitalism vs. Corporatism. Critical Review, 21(4), 401–414.
Schwartz, L. (1995). Class Act: EMI Releases Rare Set of Maria Callas At Juilliard. In The Phoenix, 21–28 Dec 1995. Boston, MA: The Phoenix Media/Communications Group.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Christakos, G. (2010). Epilogue. In: Integrative Problem-Solving in a Time of Decadence. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9890-0_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9890-0_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-9889-4
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-9890-0
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)