| Titre | La théorie générale des systèmes et les perspectives de développement dans les sciences sociales | |
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| Auteur | Charles Roig | |
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Revue | Revue Française de Sociologie |
| Numéro | Numéro spécial 1970 Analyse de systèmes en sciences sociales (I) | |
| Page | 47-97 | |
| Résumé anglais |
Charles Roig : General systems theory and its prospective development in social science.
This article is a stage in the analysis of the concept of system as used in social science. Its main aim is to warn against the usual simplified analogies made with biological, mechanical or cybernetical systems in the name of general systems theory, which is actually much more of a project than a coherent scientific design. Such analogical translations too often give birth to tautologies or in the better instances to abstract patterns far from all empirical reality. However, systems analysis has two assets this article means to overview. First, it incites a questioning of the epistemology of social science in new ways, beyond the too restrictive functionalist postulates (i.e. they deal only with a certain type of system). Secondly it allows a clarification of concepts which are increasingly used in social science (from « structure » to « feedback ») without worrying about the appropriateness of their use or even of their definition. This study leaves aside among other things, the main problem of language as verbal support ? never neutral ? of social science ; this characteristic distinguishes social science theory from physics theory. Doesn't every systemic interpretation of social reality constitute, in the first place, a terminological (or logological) system with all its implications ? This basic point remains to be clarified. Source : Éditeur (via Persée) |
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| Article en ligne | http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/rfsoc_0035-2969_1970_hos_11_1_1603 |
