Search Results for: heuristic

A simple clarification of Churchman’s systems approach This is a summary of Chapter Four of The Systems Approach (TSA). It is part of a series of blogging posts, which will cover the whole of Churchman’s The Systems Approach (TSA), a … Continue reading →

Where nothing is what it seems This is a summary of Chapter Three of The Systems Approach (TSA). It is part of a series of blogging posts, which will cover the whole of Churchman’s The Systems Approach (TSA), a rather … Continue reading →

How empiricism restricted our concept of reason In the previous post I have shown that Churchman probably elaborated his systems approach over a period of about 30 years (1952-1982). First he used it in his consultancy work as operations research … Continue reading →

Early seminal paper about the systems approach To the unsuspecting eye, Churchman’s systems approach may seem to have popped up quite unexpectedly in 1968, but it has roots in his writings well before that and in his consultancy work long … Continue reading →

Client-purpose relationships, unfolding, evaluation and systemic agency It’s always wise to raise questions about the most obvious and simple assumptions. (Churchman, 1968: ix) What proof exists of any real, actual value added by the systems approach? At the beginning of … Continue reading →

Four approaches and two meanings of ‘approach’ When I first read Churchman’s ‘The systems approach’ I was missing a bit of structure to let everything fall into place. I went on to read more of his books and other systems … Continue reading →

The foundations of the systems approach Churchman (1971, p. 17-18) suggests that “.. we can regard the history of epistemology [..] as a description of how learning can be designed and how the design can be justified. This way of … Continue reading →

Its rationale, its structure, its application, and its definition There are many ways of explaining the systems approach, but it is difficult to find a way that enables quick understanding and acceptance. While reading Churchman’s ‘The design of inquiring systems’ … Continue reading →

Two more concept maps, like it or not Yesterday I started rereading Churchman’s 1971 book on “The design of inquiring systems: basic concepts of systems and organization.” The opening chapter introduces a few basic concepts, such as system, design and … Continue reading →