The Metaphysical Foundations of Soft and Hard Information Systems Methodologies

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to examine the basic epistemological and ontological foundations of soft and hard information systems (IS) methodologies. A number of writers have discussed the philosophical underpinnings of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM); the general conclusion being that SSM embodies the philosophical assumptions of (some form of) subjectivism. It will be argued that whilst the advocates of SSM subscribe to a subjective mode of enquiry, such a mode has its history — and its rationale — firmly grounded in the early modern philosophies of the natural sciences. In contemporary epistemological terms, this approach can be characterised as a variant of foundationalism. Lewis has recently studied the epistemological foundations of hard IS methodologies. Although these methodologies are generally committed to an approach based on objec- tivist assumptions, they are also based on a variant of foundationalism. The overlaps between hard and soft IS methodologies’ metaphysical foundations will be explored, and it will be argued that, whilst there may be epistemological overlaps between the two broad approaches, there are problems reconciling the ontological assumptions of these two broad approaches. It will be concluded that these problems (whilst causing some difficulties) are not insurmountable.