Trans-scientific frameworks of knowing: Complementarity views of the different types of human knowledge

The paper attempts to develop a non-reductionistic and transdisciplinary vi ew on human knowing in the light of the growing development of transdiscipl inary practices and sciences. Medicine is one of the oldest; ecology and in formation science are some of the newer examples of radical transdisciplina rity. I discuss the lack of a recognized place and value of phenomenologica l knowledge in relation to the general mechanistic scientific ontology that still seems to be the only generally accepted background for the transdisc iplinary areas to build on. Ontologically we cannot say much about reality except that it is very complex and dynamic, but still has structures and ca usal relations of a certain stability, which can be modelled mathematically . We further have to admit that there are aspects of reality that are beyon d measuring. I suggest that the dualistic idea of transcendental and eterna l mathematical natural laws and an algorithmic programme behind intelligenc e and language is rejected for its lack of ability to include the phenomeno logical and existential perspective of science and the practical knowledge beyond words. Instead I am promoting an epistemology, which sees science as only one aspect of our knowledge and sees human knowledge as going beyond language. An opening for the phenomenological aspect is then created in our modern scientistic and mechanistic metaphysics. I suggest a view of knowle dge seen as self-organized signification systems based on metaphysical fram eworks in social practice. The interpretation of sign in a systematized kno wledge framework is actually where the medical sciences started in the clas sical Creek tradition of Hippocrates. This non-reductionistic framework pro mises to open towards a non-Cartesian transdisciplinary understanding of th e basis for the generation and communication of knowledge in society withou t giving up what we have gained through the rigour and the methods of the s ciences and the logic of philosophical analysis. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wi ley & Sons, Ltd.