Abstract
This thesis endeavours to establish for social-seience a theoretical, technological model based on a methodology which may prove not to be different from, or which may participate in, similar methodologies and models to be adopted by the so-called natural sciences and which may also partner and even possibly participate in other similar methodologies and models considered acceptable to philosophy. This thesis emphasises those theories and positions which give important place to the individual in his "private" aspect (formalised herein as I-P), so making, it is hoped, a contribution towards redressing the imbalance of emphasis which seems to have been placed on the "social" aspects of the individual (formalised herein as S-P) in most social sciences, some natural sciences and some philosophies and which imbalance places a burden on social-sciencc which it has found difficult to sustain. Finding wanting the naturalist and humanist approaches to social-science, this thesis will try to establish that the development of a technological methodology and model applied to soclal-science may reinforce the capacity of that science to deal effectively with the matters with which it is concerned; to present a greater validity of activity and purpose both within and beyond its boundaries; to make possible an approach to social-science based on the wishes and needs and aims of totalities of individuals. To these ends this thesis will explore: the need for a new methodology and a new model based thereon to compensate for the defects of previous models for social-science, its particular applicability to social-science with emphasis on a) the vocabulary and concepts of social-science considered as elements, tools or probes inherent in the methodological approach and its model, b) the inductive processes leading to the collation and handling of the data which is the fundamental ingredient of the methodology and its model c) the cybernetic processes and their systematization and application and relevance to social-science together with their implications for philosophy and their critical involvement in the technological methodology and its model. all this with the possibility arising from consideration of the model, of a continuous development and refinement of its outcome by in-built self-correcting processes.