Evaluating Explanations through Their Conceptual Structures

Many scholars discuss concepts and even conceptual systems along with the importance of understanding them. As Umpleby (1994) claims, “Explicit attention to conceptual systems, or to beliefs and values, is not a new development within the social sciences.” Past investigations have been useful in helping us understand (to some extent) the place of concepts within a larger process of communication and action (the science of cognitive systems). However, we have not become adept at understanding our conceptual structures from a systemic perspective (the science of conceptual systems). Indeed, because our minds are full of conflicting mental models (Lane, 1992), our conceptual lenses are not very clear. Thus, many investigations may have been made using one fuzzy lens to evaluate the fuzziness of another lens; we do not understand conceptual structures as systems unto themselves. This, for systems thinkers, is highly problematic.