A Kierkegaardian reading of C. West Churchman: The necessity of the infinite for ethical and actionable inquiry

Abstract

Background: Churchman, a foundational philosopher for the systems approach, insists that his approach is not existential or phenomenological. This claim needs to be addressed before exploring the systems approach from an existential phenomenological perspective.
Objectives: This study aims to read Churchman through a Kierkegaardian lens and to determine what the implications are for the future of perspective-taking systems approaches that emanate from Churchman’s philosophy.
Method: Churchman’s philosophy is compared to the early proto-existentialism of Søren Kierkegaard. The comparison focuses on how ‘being’ and ‘becoming’ function in the context of a finite-infinite synthesis and contemporaneous identity formation.
Results: Churchman legitimately rejects the modern existentialism label. However, a Kierkegaardian lens, a precursor to modern existentialism, reveals that Churchman grappled with similar concerns. These concerns include the importance of linking thought to action and the immorality of eschewing accountability and responsibility.
Conclusion: The ongoing frustration with the failure of implementation and the perceived difficulty of applying the approach in practice are revealed to emanate from issues of identity and contemporaneity; the fault is not in the idealism of the approach. The assumed ability to maintain identity safely while being perspective-taking emerges as a possible foundational problem with Churchman’s systems approach that warrants further investigation.
Contribution: This study contributes to the ongoing conversation on the foundations of systems philosophy to help take the systems approach forward. New avenues of research that explore the role of identity and ways to support minds embarking on the systems journey are opened up.