Constructivist Foundations

Constructivist Foundations is a four-monthly interdisciplinary peer-reviewed academic journal that focusses on constructivist approaches to science and philosophy, especially radical constructivism, enactive cognitive science, second order cybernetics, biology of cognition and the theory of autopoiesis systems, non-dualizing philosophy [1], among others.

Scope

The journal publishes scholarly articles with empirical, formal or conceptual content, survey articles providing an extensive overview, target articles which are openly discussed in commentatories, opinions written by authorities in their field, and book reviews.

The constructivist approaches covered in the journal question the Cartesian separation between objective world and subjective experience and demand the inclusion of the observer in scientific explanations. They reject representationalism and support the view that knowledge is a system-related cognitive process rather than a mapping of an objective world onto subjective cognitive structures. Hence, reality is constructed, i.e., brought forth by the subject rather than passively received. This means that constructivist approaches entertain an agnostic relationship with reality. This moves the focus of research from "the world that consists of matter" to "the world that consists of what matters". Constructivist approaches focus on self-referential and organizationally closed systems that strive for control over their inputs rather than their outputs. With regard to scientific explanations, constructivist approaches favor a process-oriented approach rather than a substance-based perspective, such that cognitive systems are defined by processes whereby they constitute and maintain their own organization. Sociality is defined as accommodating within the framework of social interaction from the individual's perspective. Regarding science, constructivist approaches ask for an open and less dogmatic attitude in order to generate the flexibility that is needed to cope with today’s scientific frontier.

In addition to regular issues two special issues have been published: A festschrift for Ernst von Glasersfeld [2] and an issue on the non-dualizing philosophy of Josef Mitterer [3]. At the moment the journal has a readership of more than 1800 subscribers.

Authors

Among others, articles were written by Kenneth J. Gergen, Ranulph Glanville, Ernst von Glasersfeld, Reuben Hersh, Adolf Holl, Klaus Krippendorff, Jean-Louis Le Moigne, Humberto R. Maturana, Sal Restivo, Siegfried J. Schmidt, Peter Strasser, and Peter Weibel.

External links

• http://www.constructivistfoundations.info/ - Homepage of Constructivist Foundations