DEPARTMENT OF SYSTEMS SCIENCE AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BINGHAMTON

This paper describes history as well as current characteristics of the Department of Systems Science at the State University of New York at Binghamton. The predecessor of the Department was a General Systems program, initiated at the School of Advanced Technology, one of the professional schools at SUNY-Binghamton, in 1968. The Systems Science Department was established in 1976. It operates now under the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering. Applied Science, and Technology, and its primary mission is to maintain a high quality graduate education program in systems science at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels. The Department has been stable for the last fifteen years and is likely to remain stable in the foreseeable future.

The name attached to each section title in this paper indicates which one of the two coauthors wrote that section.     

SOCIAL SYSTEMS THEORY AND PRACTICE: THE NEED FOR A CRITICAL APPROACH

Much of the success of science in explaining, predicting and controlling natural systems can be attributed to the well understood methods that exist for producing and testing theory in the natural sciences. The successful development of social systems science is similarly likely to depend on the elucidation of methods of inquiry suitable to the systems of its concern. Unfortunately the successful methods employed by natural scientists cannot be simply taken over and used in social systems science. Systems scientists who attempt this, risk operating with wholly inappropriate tools when dealing with social systems. Alternative methods of inquiry have been developed in the “soft” systems tradition which are more appropriate for use in relation to one large class of social systems. However, there are many social systems for which even these soft systems approaches are inappropriate. For such social systems there is a need for a more radical and critical approach to producing and verifying social systems science. This paper seeks to demonstrate the need for a critical approach in relation to one class of social systems and shows how only this kind of approach can take account of the special characteristics of this category of social system.     

系统管理的一致性测试

ＯＳＩ系统管理是ＯＳＩ的一个重要组成部分，由于系统管理的特殊性，传统的一致性测试方法并不很适合于系统管理，本文分析了系统管理的各个部分，描述了与各个部分相适应的一致性测试方法。     

THE GENERAL SYSTEMS DEPOSITORY Its Mission and Operation

This paper describes the program of Systems education at the University of Pennsylvania. The program is managed by the Department of Systems which is housed in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. It discusses the structure of the program both for undergraduate and graduate education. In addition it attempts to show the broadness of the program by discussing briefly a new course which is taken by all undergraduates and the majority of graduate students in problem formulation using the systems approach.     

计算机科学与技术特色专业建设的思考与实践探讨

随着我国经济的发展,科学技术水平的提升,带动了计算机技术的发展,在各行各业中处处可见计算机技术的身影,为我们的生活以及生产劳动提供了诸多便利条件。高校也因此增加了与计算机技术相关的专业课程,希望将学生培养成能够适应社会发展的专业型人才。但在此过程中,很多高校渐渐失去了专业教学特色,导致计算机科学在建设中存在很多不足。因此本文对计算机科学与技术特色专业建设进行思考与实践探讨,希望能够为相关从业者提供参考意见。     

RETHINKING THE UNITY OF SCIENCE

This paper reconstructs the traditional systems notion of the unity of science to take account of criticisms that have been made of it over the years. It then examines a number of disciplinary sciences, comparing them with systems science. It is shown that disciplinary scientists embrace different philosophical and methodological positions, depending on their chosen subject areas. This presents a major problem for systems science. Systems science brings all the subject areas from the disciplines together, and with them come their associated philosophical and methodological ideas. These rub together abrasively, and the result is that the integrity of systems science itself is brought into question. The solution proposed in this paper is the promotion of methodological pluralism. This involves the development of a philosophical theory that explains the methodological diversity that is needed if we are to conduct transdisciplinary research. The paper ends with the presentation of a pluralist theory that begins the job of freeing systems science from methodological and philosophical restrictions.