Wicked Philosophy

Coyan Tromp teaches Philosophy of Science, Futures Thinking, Interdisciplinary Methodology and 21st Century Skills at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Amsterdam. She is also curriculum developer, and co-designer of the Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Programme Future Planet Studies and the Minor Science for Sustainability.

‘Practitioners, teachers, and students across the entire range of sciences and humanities will benefit from Tromp’s comparison of traditional and newer paradigms, models, and approaches. She identifies their underlying assumptions, weighing their strengths and weaknesses for grappling with challenges such as the primary case of sustainable food systems. The book is anchored throughout by explanations of key tools, definitions of key concepts, and guiding questions for reflection and discussion.’Julie Thompson Klein, Professor of Humanities Emerita in the English Department, Wayne State University (USA) and Affiliate of TdLaB at ETH-Zurich‘A wide-ranging synthesis of ideas leading to a persuasive philosophy of transdisciplinary studies, one from which interdisciplinarians can glean much of value.’William Newell, Professor Emeritus Interdisciplinary Studies, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio (USA)

• Preface, 1. Twenty-First-Century Science, 1.1 'Wicked' Problems: The Great Challenges of Our Times, 1.2 The State of Modern Science, 1.3 The Inevitability of Philosophy, 1.4 Future Avenues, 2 Contemporary Approaches, 2.1 The Traditional Standard Research Model, 2.2 Interpretivism as an Alternative Paradigm, 2.3 Current Models and Future Thinking, 2.4 Unity in Diversity, 3 Structure and Action in Science, 3.1 Objective Structures or Subjective Perspectives? 3.2 A Clash of Approaches? 3.3 Beyond the Oppositions, 3.4 Towards a More Dynamic View of Science, 4 Science as a Rational Process, 4.1 The 'Project of Reason', 4.2 Unintended and Unwanted Consequences of the Rationality Process, 4.3 The Societal Value of Science, 4.4 Does Knowledge Also Imply Wisdom?, 4.5 From Funnel Rationality to a More Comprehensive Rationality, 5 Robust Knowledge for Complex Problems, 5.1 Towards a Complexity-Based, Integrated Research Approach, 5.2 Science in Progress, 5.3 Quality Criteria for Research into Complex Issues, 5.4 Dealing with Complexity, 6 The Future of Science, 6.1 Science and Futures Thinking, 6.2 Vision-Based Science and Science-Based Visions, 6.3 From Funnel Vision to Comprehensive Science, References, Glossary and Index, Colophon.