Systemic Thinking in China: A Meta-Decision-Making Bridge to Western Concepts

We use a meta-decision-making approach to show that parallels can be drawn between an Oriental systems methodology, wuli, shili, renli (WSR), and the adjusting, convincing, and committing dimensions in nomology, a generic metamodel that is based in decision science. We then use the match between them to propose a metalinguistic bridge between China and the West that could aid in the communication and sharing of systems experiences. We use the bridge to consider some of the interpretations of Chinese systems experiences in terms of Western models in a special issue of Systemic Practice and Action Research (Vol. 13, No. 1, 2000) on systemic thinking in China. We show how WSR could help to relate these interpretations in terms of Chinese concepts. We explore proposals in a paper in the special issue by Midgley et al. (2000) about how to operationalize human relations in Chinese systems practice. We show that these correspond to a suggestion that developing commitment within a systems project should be done in a convincing manner. Hence, in WSR terms, we would say that their advice could be interpreted as meaning that shili should be used to operationalize renli. Finally, we propose as a research agenda that the bridge be used to explore how Chinese insights could help to illuminate Western systems experience.     

Implications of Knowledge Economy for Citizens: An Empirical Exploration

We describe the application of Priority Pointing, a generically applicable research procedure, to the question how Ireland can become an innovative knowledge economy. Questioning received orthodoxy, we show that Irish culture should put more value on scientific skills, promote a scientifically literate culture, and reform institutional and structural support systems to develop an innovative knowledge-based economy. In autopoietic terms, we illustrate how structure of the social systems and the history of those systems determine the space and capability for future development and innovation. The Systems Science theory used is Nomology, which claims that three different processes of adjusting, convincing, and committing comprehensively describe how the mind structures decisions. Committing and convincing are subjective and correspond to the processes that build the autopoietic aspects of a society or organization. Consequently, the proposed adjustments that emerge from the research should not challenge what we are as citizens, within our autopoietic societal boundary.     

矿难频发的法理学思考——以规范政府行为为视角

经济转型时期,我国的煤矿行业取得了迅速发展,但是矿难也随之频繁发生。矿难事故的发生有其错综复杂的原因,文章仅从法理学的角度对矿难事件背后的政府行为进行剖析,以期通过规范政府行为来更好地主导经济发展,实现社会公共利益,切实保障矿工的生命健康权利。     

法理学教学方法改革之检视

法理学教学方法改革是近年来的一个热点问题；讲述式教学法在我固法理学教方法中应居于基础性位置；应该借鉴与创新苏格拉底教学法在法理学教学中的有效运用；临床教学法对深化法理学教学方法的改革具有积极的价值，应该给予其应有的重视。