Systems Theory and Complexity: Introduction

In this paper the central ideas and history of complexity theory and systems theory are described. It is shown how these theories lend themselves to different interpretations, and different interpretations lead to different political conclusions.     

Kevin Kelly's Complexity Theory: The Politics and Ideology of Self-organising Systems

Regarded as a contemporary prophet of the new technology and economy, widely acclaimed author and editor of Wired , Kevin Kelly argues that the realms of nature and human construction are becoming one. Human-made things are becoming more lifelike and life is becoming more engineered. Utilising complexity theory and other concepts fashioned on the paradigmatic logic of biological systems, Kelly envisions a future with radically different forms of social and organisational control. In this future world, control is dispersed in highly pluralistic, open, and decentralised systems. Natural, technological, economic and social elements of the system co-evolve towards a superior, neo-biological civilisation that (among other things) will foster bottom-up control, co-ordinated change and co-operation among all elements. We contest Kelly's metaphysic of the new economy and new technology, arguing that he illicitly collapses technology and the economy into nature, using nature metaphors to legitimate the new forms of economy and organisation. We argue that Kelly fails to factor in the logic of capital into his scenario and does not explore the consequences of the new organisation of economy and new technology for the environment and society.     

邓小平发展理论的辩证观

邓小平同志把马克思主义的辩证法创造性地运用于对中国发展问题的思考,使其关于发展的理论中洋溢着丰富的辩证法思想。一、和平与发展　　邓小平的发展理论是立足于对时代特征的科学分析基础之上的。早在十一届三中全会前后,邓小平便深刻地指出,尽管由于超级大国争霸世界引起的战争危险依然存在,但制约战争的因素有了可喜的增长,世界和平力量的增长超过了战争因素的增长。从整体看,世界人民是要求和平,反对战争,谋求发展的。到80年代中期他进一步提出了“和平与发展是当今世界两大主题”的科学论断。他说：“现在世界上真正大的问题…     

瞿秋白对辩证唯物主义的传播与理解

瞿秋白对辩证唯物主义的传播和理解,标志着中国马克思主义哲学思潮的发展开始进入规范化阶段.他对马克思主义理论体系的认识和理解,比李大钊等人更为深刻、更为全面.他对辩证唯物主义的理解和绍述,对中国人了解和掌握辩证唯物主义的基本精神和基本内容有很大帮助.在中国马克思主义哲学发展史上起到了承上启下的作用.     

和谐思维与辩证思维

和谐思维与辩证思维都是人类思维的精华。和谐思维与辩证思维具有共同的思想基础,二者相辅相成。和谐思维与辩证思维在人类活动两大基本原则的体现上,在产生的依据和适用范围上,在对应的思维方式及命名的角度上有明显的区别。探讨和谐思维与辩证思维的关系,具有十分重要的理论价值及实践意义。     

Understanding Policy Networks: towards a Dialectical Approach

This article has two aims. First, we develop a dialectical model of the role that policy networks play in any explanation of policy outcomes. Our model is based upon a critique of existing approaches and emphasizes that the relationship between networks and outcomes is not a simple, unidimensional one. Rather, we argue that there are three interactive or dialectical relationships involved between: the structure of the network and the agents operating within them; the network and the context within which it operates; and the network and the policy outcome. Second, we use this model to help analyse and understand continuity and change in British agricultural policy since the 1930s. Obviously, one case is not sufficient to establish the utility of the model, but the case does illustrate both that policy networks can, and do, affect policy outcomes and that, in order to understand how that happens, we need to appreciate the role played by the three dialectical relationships highlighted in our model.     

辩证思维及其当代意义

辩证思维是马克思主义哲学的主要领域.本文定义了辩证思维,阐明了辩证思维的主要内容,指出了如何运用辩证思维的方法,论述了辨证思维的当代意义.     

关于哲学、艺术及其辩证关系

哲学是对人生、社会的思考和关爱,不是现成的知识性的结论。哲学的智慧不仅仅是“教人思维”的途径和方法,还是使人自觉到“思维的本性”、掌握思想运动的逻辑,从而探求真理性认识的精神愉悦。艺术是人类以情感和想象为特性,来把握和反映世界,表示对世界和自身及二者关系看法的一种特殊方式。哲学的世界观与方法论是艺术内涵的先导,而艺术又同样蕴含着理性的思考,二者是有机的、动态的辩证统一。     

我国“复杂化社会“的形成及其治理

"复杂化社会"是新世纪我国社会发展不能逾越的重要阶段.复杂化社会的形成是对社会发展的理论认识不足、经济利益的边界模糊与失衡、政治权益的分化与重组、文化观念的碰撞与融合等多种因素综合作用的结果.现阶段复杂化社会呈现出阶段性、多因性、多变性和可控性的特点.复杂化社会的治理是一个长期而庞大的系统工程,需要从思想观念、治理工具、政府能力、社会整合等方面进行相互协作与密切配合.     

Causal Complexity and Party Preference

Abstract.  Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) overlaps logistic regression in explaining events, but challenges the latter's lack of accounting for causal complexity. QCA has only to a limited degree been applied to large-N studies or individuals as cases and has not incorporated the logic of probability. QCA and logistic regression are compared with respect to logic, procedure and outcome. Political orientations from five national surveys are adapted to the requirements of the two methods. The methods are demonstrated on explanations of individuals' party preferences. QCA and logistic regression converge and overlap in identifying degrees of causal complexity, in ascertaining model significance and in identifying antecedents to party preference. Results differ in degree, not in kind. A slightly more nuanced picture emerges using the QCA approach, whereas logistic regression delivers greater parsimony. Choice of method(s) is not arbitrary. QCA can easily be used on any large-N research problem. It should apply probability when appropriate.     

论黑格尔辩证法体系的缺陷与中国特色辩证法体系的创新

黑格尔是欧洲哲学史上第一个将辩证法思想建构为一个完整体系的哲学家.黑格尔辩证法体系存在缺陷主要表现在:质量律不讲质与量的平衡、矛盾律不讲斗争与和谐的辩证关系、总体与局部只从形式逻辑展开而不讲两者的辩证联系;曲直律只讲曲不讲直,没有提及实践.针对黑格尔辩证法缺陷,联系马克思主义发展历程,借鉴中国传统辩证法思想丰富的资源,找到中国特色辩证法体系创新的节点.中国特色辩证法提出六大规律:矛盾本根律、双重平衡律、对立和谐交替律、分合互动律、曲直交替律、质量更新律,并以"逻辑历史实践三统一"为体系结构原则.     

试析邓小平辩证逻辑思维的基本特征

邓小平的逻辑思维呈现出辩证统一性,主要表现在演绎思维与归纳思维、横向比较恩雄与纵向比较思维、理论思 维与实践思维的有机结合。     

企业经营中的辩证思维

企业的经营过程中充满了矛盾,优势与劣势,顺境与逆境,对立与合作,这些贯穿于企业经营活动始终的矛盾,直接影响和制约着企业经营决策的水平。经营过程就是一个不断解决矛盾的过程,而矛盾的解决必须以科学分析企业自身及环境态势为基础,企业必须打破传统观念的束缚,用辩证思维把握矛盾的动态演化趋势,构建一个适合自身特点的、开放的应变系统。     

授权艺术的辩证思考

授权作为领导智慧和能力的扩展与延伸,是一把手走向成功的“分身术”,也是权力运用过程中很难处理而又必须处理好的紧要问题。因此,辩证地把握和运用好授权艺术是“一把手”值得认真研究和解决的重要课题。 　　一、善察人但不疑人 　　授权是一项政策性、原则性很强的严肃工作。“一把手”作为本单位的主要领导者,除了要慎重地确定给下属的授权范围、授权大小外,特别要注意善察受权者。只有全面了解下属的品德、能力、爱好、兴趣等特点,做到先察其能,再授其权,才能使适者入位,达到合理授权的目的。 　　1要察言不惟言。古人曰：…     

全球化的辩证分析

全球化是一个复杂现象,需要对其进行全面的辩证分析。全球化的本质包含着两重属性:历史必然性和主观战略性。全球化的效应具有多维性、二律背反性以及不均衡性、不平等性。全球化问题的关键是不平等,其根源是不合理、不平等的国际制度体系。因此,需要改革现有的国际制度体系,建立新的公平合理的国际制度体系。     

The Policy Sciences: The Challenge of Complexity

This essay reviews some of the recent criticisms of positivist science. It interprets this criticism, more generally, as directed towards the complexity of social science phenomena and the difficulty of dealing with complexity epistemologically and methodologically. Rather than ignoring complexity, changing the subject matter or explaining it away, we argue that complexity may be acknowledged and studied systematically withn the context of post-positivist approaches. The essay than proposes several strategies for conceptualizing and researching complexity (at a "meta-level" from substantive policy research) that are based in systems theory.     

Outsourcing: Uncovering the Complexity of the Decision

ABSTRACT

Outsourcing is a phenomenon that, on the surface, is used to reduce costs and enable an organization to focus on its core competencies. In researching into outsourcing and whether this assumption holds true, this article focuses on public health organizations where outsourcing has been applied to both clinical and non-clinical services. In the cases observed, public sector managers assumed contracting would lower production costs for peripheral services whose outcomes could be easily measured and monitored. Clinical services were not usually outsourced because these core services were more difficult to measure. In implementing contracts for non-core services, decision makers' political and ideological objectives overshadowed management imperatives that are necessary for effective contract design and implementation, leading to poor service outcomes and little cost savings. Choosing the “right” services to contract does guarantee good outcomes such as lower costs and improved labor flexibility, but it is necessary to understand that optimum outcomes are only achievable if the service is clearly non-core, has measurable outcomes, and has low transaction frequency. It is also clear that outsourcing will not remove management problems; it simply adds another layer of complexity on top of managing staff who still provide the service.     

主体复杂性论略

主体复杂性问题是当代社会实践和复杂性探索的前沿问题,文章考察了主体复杂性问题更加突出的根据,揭示了主体结构与功能的复杂性,阐明了全面提高主体综合素质是一个复杂的过程。