TY - JOUR

T1 - Designing a Transformative Epistemology of the Problematic

T2 - A Perspective for Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research

AU - Meyer, Esther

AU - Peukert, Daniela

PY - 2020/7/3

Y1 - 2020/7/3

N2 - This paper elaborates on the question of how to design an epistemological foundation for problem-oriented, collaborative forms of research, such as transdisciplinary sustainability research. It picks up approaches of twentieth-century European philosophy to the concept of the problematic and design research. The problematic is explained as a historical epistemological effort. Design research shows parallels to the epistemological thinking of the problematic by contributing to a differentiation and historicity of knowledge and knowledge production itself. Designing is constituted by a nexus of conceptual thinking and creative making, and so designs are drafts themselves. We interweave the thinking of the problematic with the practice of designing in order to open an epistemological perspective in and for transdisciplinary sustainability research. We call this a ‘thinking practice of problematic designing,’ which describes an epistemological tool as well as a transformative process. Problematic designing is characterized by always being in the making–its designs can grow beyond their conditions of production. By opening up manifold dimensions of transformation, this epistemological approach is oriented towards complexity, enabling the generation of sound and future-relevant knowledge.

AB - This paper elaborates on the question of how to design an epistemological foundation for problem-oriented, collaborative forms of research, such as transdisciplinary sustainability research. It picks up approaches of twentieth-century European philosophy to the concept of the problematic and design research. The problematic is explained as a historical epistemological effort. Design research shows parallels to the epistemological thinking of the problematic by contributing to a differentiation and historicity of knowledge and knowledge production itself. Designing is constituted by a nexus of conceptual thinking and creative making, and so designs are drafts themselves. We interweave the thinking of the problematic with the practice of designing in order to open an epistemological perspective in and for transdisciplinary sustainability research. We call this a ‘thinking practice of problematic designing,’ which describes an epistemological tool as well as a transformative process. Problematic designing is characterized by always being in the making–its designs can grow beyond their conditions of production. By opening up manifold dimensions of transformation, this epistemological approach is oriented towards complexity, enabling the generation of sound and future-relevant knowledge.

KW - complexity

KW - design research

KW - futurity

KW - Problematic thinking

KW - Transdisciplinary studies

KW - Sustainability Science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85078847264&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/02691728.2019.1706119

DO - 10.1080/02691728.2019.1706119

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85078847264

VL - 34

SP - 346

EP - 356

JO - Social Epistemology

JF - Social Epistemology

SN - 0269-1728

IS - 4

ER -