A Modest Proposal for Future Systems

Mitroff (e.g., Mitroff, 1971; Mitroff & Beltz, 1972) and others have argued quite persuasively that when trying to predict an uncertain future20 one of the most effective techniques is the dialectic argument. In the dialectic approach, proponents of the two most extreme views on an issue argue the strenghts of their position and the weaknesses of the other. As a result, the strengths and weaknesses of each will be identified, and a third point-of-view, hopefully including the strengths of each and the weaknesses of neither, will be created by the observer.