The Evolutionary Dynamics of Discursive Knowledge Communication-Theoretical Perspectives on an Empirical Philosophy of Science

• Main Author: Leydesdorff, Loet
• Format: eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer 2021; Prof. Loet Leydesdorff
• Edition: 1
• Series: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Scientific and Scholarly Communication
• Subjects: Nonfiction; Sociology
• ISBN: 3030599507; 9783030599508; 9783030599515; 3030599515

This open access book addresses three themes which have been central to Leydesdorff's research: (1) the dynamics of science, technology, and innovation; (2) the scientometric operationalization of these concept; and (3) the elaboration in terms of a Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations. In this study, I discuss the relations among these themes. Using Luhmann's social-systems theory for modelling meaning processing and Shannon's theory for information processing, I show that synergy can add new options to an innovation system as redundancy. The capacity to develop new options is more important for innovation than past performance. Entertaining a model of possible future states makes a knowledge-based system increasingly anticipatory. The trade-off between the incursion of future states on the historical developments can be measured using the Triple-Helix synergy indicator. This is shown, for example, for the Italian national and regional systems of innovation.