Rethinking inter- and transdisciplinarity: Undisciplined knowledge and the emergence of a new thought style

Abstract

There has been a visible increase in academic productivity in the field of inter- and transdisciplinarity (ITD) over the past decade. Does this greater visibility mean that ITD has entered a ‘golden age’ crowned with universal success, or does this new approach still face difficulties of an institutional, individual, epistemological or methodological nature? Does the researcher who situates himself between or beyond disciplines represent a new scientific profile that is transforming traditional disciplinary identities? Finally, is ITD a simple recombination of existing disciplines with varying degrees of originality, or does it embody a new thought style that calls for the dedisciplinarization of academic structures and the full recognition of its transgressive status? In this paper I shall attempt to answer these programmatic questions and shed light upon the following elements: the inter- and transdisciplinary approach is underway and still – beyond its potentialities and success – faces some obstacles; interdisciplinary research is often promoted or claimed, but it is sometimes not recognized as a form of research in its own right; and taking seriously the issues of ITD involves rethinking disciplinary identities. It represents a new thought style and a promising future for education and research.