Social Systems Theory and Practice: The Need for a Critical Approach

Much of the success of science in explaining, predicting and controlling natural systems can be attributed to the well understood methods that exist for producing and testing theory in the natural sciences. The successful development of social systems science is similarly likely to depend on the elucidation of methods of inquiry suitable to the systems of its concern. Unfortunately the successful methods employed by natural scientists cannot be simply taken over and used in social systems science. Systems scientists who attempt this, risk operating with wholly inappropriate tools when dealing with social systems. Alternative methods of inquiry have been developed in the “soft” systems tradition which are more appropriate for use in relation to one large class of social systems. However, there are many social systems for which even these soft systems approaches are inappropriate. For such social systems there is a need for a more radical and critical approach to producing and verifying social systems science. This paper seeks to demonstrate the need for a critical approach in relation to one class of social systems and shows how only this kind of approach can take account of the special characteristics of this category of social system.