Transdisciplinarity

The transdisciplinarity , posture scientific and intellectual aims at the comprehension of the complexity of the modern world and present.

The word transdisciplinarity was invented by Jean Piaget, in 1970.

The human ecology, or rather the human Oïkologie (literally and étymologiquement the speech on “living it”, in the broad sense term), proceeds in its step of analysis and comprehension of the complexity of the modern world in which we live of an approach transdisciplinaire basically. However, it is not a question of a discipline strictly speaking, as we could it accept reading of many works or articles relative to the latter, but of a form of attitude that we must have and to transmit to the future generations. It is not a question either of the constitution of a speech on the speech, of a méta-science which would have as a claim to explain complexity while positioning like a new epistemology of the current disciplines, as currently conceived. Not, nothing of all that. It is because human ecology voluntarily proceeds of transdisciplinarity that this one cannot be conceived like a new discipline.

The transdisciplinarity is defined by Basarab Nicolescu by three methodological postulates: the existence of levels of Reality and perception, the logical of the thirds included and complexity.

The transdisciplinarity is distinguished thus from the Pluridisciplinarité and the Interdisciplinarité in the sense that it overflows the disciplines on the one hand, but especially on the other hand that its finality does not remain not registered in disciplinary research itself. However, often, of many confusions or precise ignorance of the precise terminology of each term lead to destroying amalgams, unfortunately conveyed by not very scrupulous media of the precision of the vocabulary which they employ. It results from them finally an quasi-ignorance from the concept of transdisciplinarity, and many possibilities that this one offers.

Thus, as its “trans” prefix indicates it, the transdisciplinarity is the posture scientific and intellectual which is at the same time enters, through and beyond any discipline. This process of integration and going beyond of the disciplines aims at the comprehension of the complexity of the modern world and present, which constitutes already, a priori, a first element of legitimacy (or of legitimation).

In such a context, how to speak then about transdisciplinarity with concepts which are those of specialists? The analogies (such as for example the entropy and the néguentropie) allow, with all the precautions which these last require, the use of a common language. However it is necessary to pay attention to the Réductionnisme, because the use of wandering concepts, so rich are, require great epistemological precautions, with the risk if not to produce the opposite effect. This pernicious character of what we call of the wandering concepts is to be underlined, because too often we observed the damage of their bad employment. Admittedly, it is well by using concepts suitable for the horticulture and the breeding that Charles Darwin worked out his theory of the natural selection, but it goes without saying this functional nomadism “épistémologiquement” of certain concepts is not a constant in the history of the evolution of sciences… However, when such analogies (or use of wandering concepts) function correctly, it results from it from considerable scientific progresses and techniques: the work of Darwin is there to testify some…

Another element of Légitimation, if it is one, is the project (more or less acknowledged) of the constitution of new “scientific Esperanto”, a kind again language having for finality, inter alia, the installation of “an autonomous knowledge from which result from new objects and new methods”. “Scientific Utopia” par excellence, which requires consequently a certain retreat, the transdisciplinarity does not remain about it less one rich intellectual posture with the potential disciplinary, scientific and epistemological significant, to which wants to try hard well to practice it: it seems thus much more one new paradigm that like a discipline with whole share.

Debates on the semantics of the " terms; trans, inter and pluridisciplinarité" exceed research with French expression besides (see p.ex. Brand, Schaller and Völker 2004 for a synthesis of the terminological questions which occupies research in German language).

References

Gaston Bachelard, the poetic one of space
Francoise Bianchi, the wire of the ideas: a intellectual éco-biography of Edgar Morin
Frank Brand, Franz Schaller and Harald Völker (ED.): Transdisziplinarität. Bestandsaufnahme und Perspektiven. Beiträge zur THESIS-Arbeitstagung im Oktober 2003 in Göttingen. Göttingen: Universitätsverlag, 2004.
Bernard d' Espagnat, an atom of wisdom, matter of a physicist on buckled reality
Frederic Darbellay, Interdisciplinarité and transdisciplinarity in analysis of the speeches , Geneva, Slatkine, 2005.
Lionel Dupuy, By reading again Jules Verne. Another glance on the Extraordinary Voyages
Lionel Dupuy, Jules Verne, the man and ground. Mysterious geography of the Extraordinary Voyages
Luc Ferry, the new ecological order. The tree, the animal and the man
Hans Jonas, the principle responsibility, an ethics for technological civilization
Thomas Samuel Kuhn, the structure of the scientific revolutions
Stephan Lupasco
Edgar Morin, Method. The nature of nature, life of the life, the knowledge of knowledge
Edgar Morin, Science with conscience
Basarab Nicolescu, the transdisciplinarity , proclamation,
Gaston Pineau and Patrick Paul, Transdisciplinarité and formation

External bonds

International Center of Research and Transdisciplinaires Studies the site of the International Study and Research Center Transdisciplinaires (CIRET).
Literary analyzes of the novels of Jules Verne: Analyzes of some novels of Jules Verne under consideration under the angle of human ecology and the transdisciplinarity .
the International Certificate of Human Ecology: The site of the CIEH at the University of Pau and the Countries of Adour.
Of human ecology to the transdisciplinarity: Human ecology with the transdisciplinarity: the complete text, of Lionel Dupuy.
Re-examined transdisciplinaire Αρχαι (Arkhaï): Review with vocation transdisciplinaire, presenting the concept of transdisciplinarity in banner page.
Articles on line on Transdisciplinarité
Sciences&Culture GRIT-Transversals: Group of Research inter and transdisciplinaire.
Official site of the group of research transdisciplinaire Plasticity - Sciences - Arts.
Site of the Foundation " World Knowledge Dialog" or " Dialog of Savoirs"

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