Unsolved controversy in the theory of systems

Abstract

This analysis brings to the fore the controversy between the linear and nonlinear aspect of systemic thinking, highlighting the radical discrepancy between Edgar Morin and Mario Bunge. While one opts for a sustained approach in what they call “nonlinear logic”, the other takes the logic initiated by Aristotle as the most appropriate for systemic thinking. Two epistemological thesis that hardly envision a point of convergence, especially regarding data modeling, daily activity of social scientist. On the one hand, it emphasizes noted that the nonlinear modeling has a flexibility capable of generating valid models that match the complexity, from a fundamentally qualitative point; and, on the contrary, it is judged as a weakness abuse nonlinear modeling considering that most facts are linear and suitable for quantification.