> > Leukippos (Leucippos) was actually the founder of the Greek view
> > Atomism.
> >
> > http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/l/leucippu.htm
> >
> > Science does not work by consensus. You don't take a vote and then
> > say, okay 95% agree so therefore it must be true. If this were the
> > case then how would guys like Einstein have ever been able to publish
> > his paper. An unpopular theory should be decided on its agreement
> > with emprical facts not on whether or not people like the
> > conclusions.
> >
> > Steve
The Natural Step four System Conditions were developed through a consensus
building process.
The principles sent out by the founder of TNS, to a range of scientists
around the world to critique, were returned to Karl Henrik Robert. The
process continued until ALL participating scientists agreed that what was
being stated was as accurate as it could be given the science as we know it
today. There were 21 iterations until this point was reached. Full
agreement was the only acceptable position for Karl Henrik.
If any two disagreed, then he would invite the individual to back their
arguments 'upstream' until a point of agreement was achieved. Then, and
only then, was the wording accepted.
His reasoning behind this approach, was that, if the conditions were to be
'true', then no one person should be able to disagree with them. Thus no
one person could 'own' them. This to him was fundamental to what he was
looking to achieve. Today, even though there have been small but
significant shifts in the wording, the document still holds good.
Patrick
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