Form of the Theory
“We would have a type of theory design which builds neither upon the natural law of the old style, or its statistical derivative, nor on the guiding motive of technically proven connections.
… It would not be logic which sought to exclude paradoxes for the purpose of consistency, but rather a theory, which kept open the paradox and the de-paradoxing in the event that the forms which it can offer, no longer convince. It would be a theory of self-referential, non-trivial, less reliable, unpredictable systems, which must separate itself from its environment in order to gain its own time and values which limit its possibilities” (N. Luhmann)
This quote by Niklas Luhmann expresses the goal to which this meta theory of change seeks to make a small contribution, how it tries to orientate itself. Luhmann’s concept to shape a theory which:
- allows itself to be measured by its ability to overcome complexity
- breaks with many traditional thinking habits
- exposes itself to strong criticism and also practices this itself in some areas
- operates with different distinctions so that, with these, one can reach a different (new?) description of reality
and inspires all considerations in this site. The hope is that this contribution to the theory of change also leads to other, new, unusual thoughts and helps to reflect upon or broaden concepts, or one’s own way of thinking.
“The Medium is the Message” is an effective sentence for the definition of this theory in the form of the meta theory tool. The tool in this site, and its operation, permits or forces, depending on one’s point of view, a loss of orientation and control. There is no oversight, no table of contents, you never know exactly where you may land and what may happen (with regard to content). This runs contrary to the usual reading habits. Those who engage with it might be surprised, they can ‘surf’ to coincidences and can practice associative thinking. The latter, in particular, is opportune, if you desire to really explore and adopt for yourself your thought processes rather than wishing to remember what has been read (like in school or university). Because in reality, in the concrete consultation situation, there is no other choice than to decide for yourself what, in this moment, is relevant and possible.
The organisation of form and content in guiding processes enables continuous revision and reflection, as well as enhancement- and broadening possibilities in the description of change processes and consultancy. It permits the necessary ‘administration of vague matters’ (P. Fuchs) to operate as flexibly as the daily coaching of people, groups and organisations require. After all, every customer project always substantially informs us that we can and must add to our learning.