Critical Heuristics of Social Planning A New Approach to Practical Philosophy [Paperback]

Critical Heuristics of Social Planning has been recognised as theseminal work on critical systems thinking. Ulrich offers a newapproach both to practical philosophy (which has until now remainedrather unpractical) and to systems thinking (which has reduced thesystems idea to a tool of merely instrumental, rather thanpractical, reason). Critical systems heuristics (CSH), as theapproach is now generally called, provides planners, practitionersand policy makers with a conceptual tool for practising practicalreason. It will enable them to identify and discuss systematicallythe value implications of policies, plans, problem definitions, orprogram evaluations. In addition, the book offers the mostthorough-going introduction available today to the espistemologicalfoundations of critical systems thinking, including a practicablemodel of cogent argumentation on disputed value implications ofdesigns. A must for practitioners and scholars who are interestedin a self-critical and practicable understanding of the widespreadcall for holistic or systems thinking!

Critical Heuristics will be recognised as a very important bookin the emerging systems discipline and will hold a significantposition for many years to come . Peter B. Checkland, University ofLancaster, England.

An outstanding contribution to an adequate philosophical andheuristic framework for critical social inquiry and design . C.West Churchman, University of California, Berkeley, USA.

The book fills a major gap in the literature on the systemstradition . Michael C. Jackson, University of Hull, England.

Drawing on a profound knowledge of both Anglo?American systemstheory and German practical philosophy, this book belongs to thebest studies I have seen on the normative foundations of planningand systems design. Horst Steinmann, University ofErlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.

Mandatory for libraries in the field of pll£«