THE NEED FOR EXPLORING ALTERNATIVES IN SYSTEMIC INTERVENTION: TWO “INTENTIONAL” ARGUMENTS

Abstract

A recurrent guideline in many of the systems approaches to intervention is the need for exploring different alternatives. This guideline is present despite the different types of tools, the different paradigms or the arguments behind it. The purpose of this paper is not to contradict this, but to provide new arguments to this need that can be applied to the whole range of tools. The arguments shown here use ideas from language pragmatics and a combination of philosophy of action and complexity theory. What is central to the arguments presented is the concern with the intentions of the agents. In light of those, it is claimed that the advantages in the exploration of alternatives are hindered if they are not used in an intentional way.