Man & Science : A Web of Systems & Social Conventions

The report is divided into seven chapters. Chapter I can be regarded as an overview of certain common problems within the community of science and gives some aspects on man''s relations to science. Chapter Two gives definitions of the concept of systems and descriptions of two types of man-made systems which the author considers of importance for development of human life and civilisation, namely, observational/analytical and artefactual (systems of artefacts). The former is exemplified in connection to a community of science. Chapter III is a reasoning about planning elements of a municipality which also in certain cases can have relevance for a community of science. Chapter Four shows a picture of a welfare system of a Swedish model. Since the community of science to a great deal is depending on the society for financing, it here can be a question of priority between science and welfare when allocating funds. It has also been judged of a certain interest to point at some dangerous features of a social welfare system combined with totalitarian tendencies. Chapter V gives a summary of man''s relations to different systems from micro to macro. Chapter VI is an overview of some central thoughts of the Austrian Philosopher Karl Popper and gives some reasons for the importance of systems science as an over-bridging science. Chapter VII is focused on certain manifestations of behaviour on different levels of society.