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Reconstruction of the Systems Paradigm: A Study of Green Development in China from the Perspective of Process Philosophy
Author(s) -
Yiyu Liu,
Dongping Fan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
systems research and behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 1092-7026
DOI - 10.1002/sres.2480
Subject(s) - dilemma , process (computing) , edge of chaos , epistemology , social system , function (biology) , paradigm shift , natural (archaeology) , chinese philosophy , sociology , process philosophy , china , perspective (graphical) , complex system , systems thinking , environmental ethics , computer science , social science , political science , artificial intelligence , philosophy , law , history , biology , evolutionary biology , operating system , archaeology
The development of contemporary China is in a unique situation in which non‐linear system behaviors stem from complex interactions among elements, structure, function and environment of the Chinese social system. One of the important features of this complex situation is the unpredictability of system evolution at the edge of chaos. A fundamental dilemma for the Chinese social system in transition is how to build an appropriate management paradigm to adapt to this complex situation. Endeavours to transplant the ‘linear ideal model’ from Western society failed, and the ‘Simple Development Paradigm’, which once dominated Chinese society, is now in deep crisis. The serious environmental problems derived from these endeavours force China to build a new approach related to ‘green’ development. In this paper, process philosophy will be shown to provide us with tools for enlightening thought in building a paradigm to adapt to this complex situation. First, ontologically speaking, process philosophy helps us to understand interactions between human activity systems and natural systems from the perspective of time–space–matter relationship. Second, epistemologically speaking, process philosophy emphasizes the construction of ‘organismic’ knowledge at the level of a living community. Third, methodologically speaking, process philosophy attempts to rebuild a coexistence relationship between human activity systems and natural systems with a ‘prehension’ methodology. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.