Panoptic Reason and the Search for Totality: A Critical Assessment of the Critical Systems Perspective
批判了批判系统视角（CSP）的哲学和社会学缺陷，指出其基于意识形态前提、本质主义人性观及对权力和开放系统的错误理解，根源在于赋予理性全景地位和话语总体化倾向。
This paper reviews the main claims and assumptions of the critical systems perspective (CSP) and subjects them to vigorous criticism. It is argued that CSP is flawed on philosophical and sociological grounds. Philosophically, CSP is criticized for its use of ideological premises which are unsusceptible to scientific criticism, for its unrealistic assumptions concerning the alleged unitary nature of organizations and society, for an essentialist conception of human beings, and for its inability to distinguish between different types of systems research. Sociologically, CSP's inadequate conceptualization of power in organizations is discussed. CSP also espouses an apolitical conception of organizational actors, and fails to appreciate the inherently open nature of social systems which is manifested mainly through the emergence of unintended consequences. It is argued here that all the above deficiencies emanate from two fundamental premises: the panoptic status CSP accords to reason, and the totalizing nature of CSP's discourse. Both premises are criticized in this paper as indefensible.