Science, Strategy and War The Strategic Theory of ... - Boekje Pienter

this end, the concept - and its internal workings - is tested and compared against observedphenomena over and over again in many different and subtle ways.But at some point, Boyd asserts following Kuhn, ‘anomalies, ambiguities, uncertainties, orapparent inconsistencies may emerge’ 64 . In subsequent presentations he refers often to theidea that a paradigm, a closed system of logic cannot be falsified from within. One needs tolook across various systems to ascertain the nature of reality and one needs to evolve one’sorientation patterns. Indeed, in several sections in The Conceptual Spiral Boyd manifests a“Polanyiist/Kuhnian” inspiration:Novelty is produced by a mental/physical feedback process of analyses and synthesis thatpermit us to interact with the world so that we can comprehend, cope with, and shape thatworld as well as be shaped by it 65 .The presence and production of mismatches are what sustain and nourish the enterprise ofscience, engineering and technology, hence keep it alive and ongoing 66 .The practice of science/engineering and the pursuit of technology permit us to continuallyrematch our mental/physical orientation with that of the changing world so that we cancontinue to thrive and grow in it.The enterprise of science, engineering, and technology affects us personally as individuals, asgroups, or as societies by changing our orientation to match with a changing world that we,in fact help change 67 .Very simply, review of “Destruction and Creation”, this presentation, and our ownexperiences reveal that the various theories, systems, processes, etc., that we employ to makesense of that world contain features that generate mismatches that, in turn, keep such aworld uncertain, ever-changing, and unpredictable 68 .Strategic activities thus are similar to the Kuhnian scientific endeavor. Indeed, Boyd asserts,The Conceptual Spiral also represents ‘A Paradigm for Survival and Growth’. And,Since survival and growth are directly connected with the uncertain, everchanging,unpredictable world of winning and losing we will exploit this whirling (conceptual) spiral oforientation, mismatches, analysis/synthesis, reorientation, mismatches,analysis/synthesis…so that we can comprehend, cope with, and shape, as well as be shapedby that world and the novelty that arises out of it 69 .64 Boyd, Destruction and Creation, p.7.65 Boyd, The Conceptual Spiral, p.22. All underlining in original.66 Ibid, p.23.67 Ibid, p.24.68 Ibid, p.31. Although it is likely that Boyd followed Kuhn in this idea of creative destruction, it cannot be ruled out that Boyd was also influence by Joseph Schumpeter, whose work Capitalism, Socialismand Democracy Boyd had read. Schumpeter is credited with the idea of the merits of creative destructionas an engine for economic growth.69 Ibid, pp.37-38. Italics are mine.93