SV: Scientific Method

[=?utf-8?B?w5hnbGFuZCAtIFBldHRlcg==?= <petter.ogland@skatteetaten.no>]

David Kerrige:

>So we must not look at the Deming Philosophy and try to apply the forms
>of scientific method that we are used to. Not that they are wrong - just
>that they are not appropriate. But the more we have learned of other
>approaches, the harder it is to start again.
>
>The same applies to the many forms of system theory. All are right in
>context, only one is appropriate to the Deming Philosophy. In setting
>out the SoPK, Deming gave the absolute minimum required for
>understanding, and did not spend time discussing and comparing the
>alternative forms. Just right for those new to system theory - hard for
>those weighed down by other ideas, as I found for myself.

And Deming's unique systems theory is a combination of the feedback systems
that Wiener writes about and the optimisation problems that Ackoff writes
about?  In order to understand Deming, we have to study Cybernetics and
Operational Research?

Is it possible to understand Deming's interpretion of C.I. Lewis witout
understanding Wiener and Ackoff, do you think?  The Deming Philosophy is
rather integrated, isn't it?  To me the systems perspective seem to indicate
a sort of "constructivist" ontology that perhaps makes it easier to
understand Deming when considering him from a Computer Science perspective.

Petter