Critical Heuristics of Social Planning: A New Approach to Practical Philosophy

Critical Heuristics of Social Planning has been recognised as theseminal work on critical systems thinking. Ulrich offers a newapproach both to practical philosophy (which has until now remainedrather unpractical) and to systems thinking (which has reduced thesystems idea to a tool of merely instrumental, rather thanpractical, reason). Critical systems heuristics (CSH), as theapproach is now generally called, provides planners, practitionersand policy makers with a conceptual tool for practising practicalreason. It will enable them to identify and discuss systematicallythe value implications of policies, plans, problem definitions, orprogram evaluations. In addition, the book offers the mostthorough-going introduction available today to the espistemologicalfoundations of critical systems thinking, including a practicablemodel of cogent argumentation on disputed value implications ofdesigns. A must for practitioners and scholars who are interestedin a self-critical and practicable understanding of the widespreadcall for holistic or systems thinking

"Critical Heuristics will be recognised as a very important bookin the emerging systems discipline and will hold a significantposition for many years to come". Peter B. Checkland, University ofLancaster, England.

"An outstanding contribution to an adequate philosophical andheuristic framework for critical social inquiry and design". C.West Churchman, University of California, Berkeley, USA.

"The book fills a major gap in the literature on the systemstradition". Michael C. Jackson, University of Hull, England.

"Drawing on a profound knowledge of both Anglo?American systemstheory and German practical philosophy, this book belongs to thebest studies I have seen on the normative foundations of planningand systems design." Horst Steinmann, University ofErlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.

"Mandatory for libraries in the field of planning". JohnFriedmann, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.

Werner Ulrich is a Swiss social scientist and practical philosopher, and a former professor of the theory and practice of social planning at the University of Fribourg. He is known as one of the originators of critical systems thinking.