Toward the Interdisciplinary Theory and Research

Abstract

The article represents some thoughts and considerations on an interdisciplinary theory and research based on the relevant scientific works and the author’s personal and “ big family ” experience and research practice during half a century (1969-2919). The author came to the following conclusions. First , a degree and forms of the interdisciplinary depend on a historical period of human society. From the ancient times till nowadays the author revealed at least three periods of science integration and diversification. Second , in the times of Enlightenment domination , the division of the sciences had been conditioned both by a diversification of human practice and an emergence of an “ iron cage ” of the bureaucracy. Thirdly , nowadays, one could observe a reverse trend toward collaboration and even to integration of the sciences. Fourthly , as I indicated earlier, there is an interdisciplinary bridge between natural, social and technical sciences defined by the metabolic processes between them. Fifthly , there is a permanent struggle between the adherents of integrative approach in the scientific world and those who gain profit from the conservation of institutional barriers between various branches of sciences. Sixthly , the civic initiatives and a science-public researches are in-between the above two. But recently such complex activity cannot be reduced neither to a kind of a bridge between them nor to a “ second-hand ” science. Seventhly , the further the more, the science-public researches are becoming an important instrument of gaining necessary data below and transferrin g them up at the fundamental sciences level. Eighthly , due to a practice of making the research projects with necessary practical recommendations a scientific knowledge began to circulate in two ways: top-down and bottom-up. Ninthly , as a result we are now “ returning ” to the Renaissance time but being much more theoretically and methodologically equipped.