Abstract
Does more complexity imply more science?
Reflection on the article by X allows for appreciative as well as critical remarks. The main gist of the re(inter)action may be formulated as follows: yes, science is a complex phenomenon and as such may follow the behaviour of complex systems in general. But in what way does the complexity of science distinguish it from other equally complex human activities? The underlying problem is one of setting boundaries. We have reservations that the boundaries of science may in one sense be defined too narrowly, and in another sense again be made too encompassing. By making complexity the identifying characteristic of science, we lose sight of other important aspects contributing to the identity of science such as the presence of appropriate method, and a critical/responsible thought altitude. In that sense it is too narrow a definition of science. On the other hand science as (a selforganising rational) complex system is m danger of being regarded as autonomous, thereby stretching its boundaries too far. With regard to that we emphasize that science is continually m interaction with intra- and extra-scientific "systems”. Furthermore, science does not exist solely for its own sake. Guided by the principles of caritas and sapientia, it ought to further the establishment of shalom in society.
Copyright information
- Ownership of copyright in terms of the Work remains with the authors.
- The authors retain the non-exclusive right to do anything they wish with the Work, provided attribution is given to the place and detail of original publication, as set out in the official citation of the Work published in the journal. The retained right specifically includes the right to post the Work on the authors’ or their institutions’ websites or institutional repositories.
Publication and user license
- The authors grant the title owner and the publisher an irrevocable license and first right and perpetual subsequent right to (a) publish, reproduce, distribute, display and store the Work in any form/medium, (b) to translate the Work into other languages, create adaptations, summaries or extracts of the Work or other derivative works based on the Work and exercise all of the rights set forth in (a) above in such translations, adaptations, summaries, extracts and derivative works, (c) to license others to do any or all of the above, and (d) to register the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for the Definitive Work.
- The authors acknowledge and accept the user licence under which the Work will be published as set out in https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (Creative Commons Attribution License South Africa)
- The undersigned warrant that they have the authority to license these publication rights and that no portion of the copyright to the Work has been assigned or licensed previously to any other party.
Disclaimer: The publisher, editors and title owner accept no responsibility for any statement made or opinion expressed by any other person in this Work. Consequently, they will not be liable for any loss or damage sustained by any reader as a result of his or her action upon any statement or opinion in this Work.
In cases where a manuscript is NOT accepted for publication by the editorial board, the portions of this agreement regarding the publishing licensing shall be null and void and the authors will be free to submit this manuscript to any other publication for first publication.
Our copyright policies are author-friendly and protect the rights of our authors and publishing partners.