Critical Systems Thinking

5Critical Systems Practice 1 – Explore the Situation of Interest

If my mind could gain a firm footing, I would not make essays, I would make decisions; but it is always in apprenticeship and on trial.

(Montaigne, c. 1580)

5.1 Introduction

Chapter 5 details how the Explore stage of Critical Systems Practice (CSP) is conducted to provide the best starting point for a multimethodological intervention. Explore requires teasing out the multidimensional character of a situation of interest by bringing a variety of ‘systemic perspectives’ to bear. An analysis of multiperspectival work in philosophy, social science and Systems Thinking (ST) leads to the conclusion that five systemic perspectives are sufficient to drive an insightful investigation of this kind. The nature of these five perspectives – mechanical, interrelationships, organismic, purposeful and societal/environmental – is discussed and the process of using them in Explore is explained. An example is provided of how they can be employed to throw light on the difficulties faced by the UK health system in the early days of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Finally, there is reflection on certain issues that arise from the nature of Explore. These include whether the different perspectives can be integrated, what Explore implies about ST and the capabilities that it demands.

5.2 Explore – Preliminaries

We are driven to explore the modern world with a ‘general complexity’ orientation that eschews universal truths. As Cassirer put ...