Environmental Transformation and the Ternary Problem Model

From a theoretical perspective, environment is defined in relation to a system, while conditions are defined in relation to purposes (or objectives), and the two are related but distinct philosophical categories with different connotations and essences. However, existing Extenics research literature mainly discusses the opposition and compatibility between objectives and conditions within a given environment, with little consideration of the dynamics of the environment and its transformations. To address this, based on the physical-factual-humanistic systems methodology and socio-ecological systems theory, this paper first explores the instrumental rationality and value rationality of environment and environmental transformation in dealing with contradictory problems. Then, on this basis, it innovatively proposes an "objective-condition-environment" ternary problem model, extending the existing "objective-condition" binary problem model. The research suggests that: in addition to objective transformation and condition transformation, environmental transformation is a third important pathway for resolving contradictory problems. Theoretically, the results expand a new avenue for addressing contradictory problems—environmental transformation—and thereby enrich and extend the problem model; practically, environmental transformation provides new insights and tools for addressing contradictory problems in various domains. 从学理来讲，环境是针对系统而言的，条件是针对目的（或目标）而言，二者是相关但有本质不同的哲学范畴。但现有可拓学的研究文献主要是在既定的环境下探讨目的和条件的对立性与相容性问题，较少考虑环境的动态性及其变换。为此，基于物理-事理-人理系统方法论和社会生态系统理论，本文首先探讨环境和环境变换在矛盾问题处理中的工具理性与价值理性，然后在此基础上创新性地提出“目标-条件-环境”三元问题模型，拓展了现有的“目标-条件”二元问题模型。研究认为：除了目标变换和条件变换，环境变换是解决矛盾问题的第三条重要途径。理论上，成果拓展了矛盾问题处理的新途径——环境变换，并据此丰富和拓展了问题模型；实践上，环境变换为处理领域矛盾问题提供了新思路和新工具。