Main page
Author's kit
Registration
Program
Organization
Venue
More information
wcsb06@cs.tut.fi
Hosted by
TUT CSB group
Abstract --- Robert A. Este, Institute for Biocomplexity and Informatics, University of Calgary, Alberta, CanadaEnhancing "New Science" Outcomes of the Policy Process: Some Philosophical Problems In this paper we assert that the emergence of new science is a specific example of the general case of consequences of the policy process. To commence support of this assertion we briefly examine Holonic Systems in AI, aspects of Quantum Mechanics, and especially, Systems Biology. We explore how philosophical problems commonly associated with the emergence of new science are related to this process. We then seek to determine if such philosophical problems can be addressed so that the policy process can be improved, and the emergence of new science enhanced. We employ the standard model of the policy process in our analysis, where the technical, political, and conceptual components of that process are dynamically arranged . We reveal the distribution of policy process components in action and explore why these components appear to have a common distribution. We then explore how this common distribution affects the outcomes of the policy process, and ask whether plausible solutions to the aforementioned philosophical problems might allow us to re-engineer this distribution in order to enhance the emergence of new science. We close by suggesting that further philosophical analysis of the policy process may have considerable positive value in terms of advancing science policy in general, and science policy related to the emergence of Systems Biology in particular. |