This fourth lecture from he Bite-Size Critical Realist tackles the concept of OPEN-SYSTEMIC CAUSALITY based on Bhaskar’s transcendental analysis of experimental activity.
The idea of the world as an open system redefines causality, in the process, evaluating the goal of the sciences in predicting phenomena and the notion of determinism with regard to human beings as well as nature. Open-systemic causality is one of the five basic insights of Critical Realism.
In regards to the statement “In an open system, causes do not determine events” I have 2 quick quesitons:
1. In science experiments or quanstitaive methodology, researchers proceed through their research in a closed system. How can we make the researches done under closed system more successful or real?
2. Is all qualitative research done under open system?
Thank you for your questions. Experiments performed in the closed system are necessary because that’s the only way we can discover how causal laws operate without intervening or countervailing variables. The best way to make sure they are “successful” or “real” is that the findings are interpreted correctly–for example, that the causal laws discovered and validated in experiments operate as mere tendencies in the open world.
Re the second question: It is more accurate to say that qualitative research is applicable to the non-material aspects of reality (social, psychological, etc.). I will take this up in the next lecture on emergence. Thank you!
looking forward to the next lecture about qualitative research and its scope in applications than you^^