Self‐referencing as socio‐scientific methodology in contrasting paradigms

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critique Gödel's and Tarski's axiomatic approach in their theorems of incompleteness of the arithmetical system.

Design/methodology/approach

Mathematical theory of self‐referencing is contrasted and an original contribution made by an extension of the same theorem beyond Godel and Tarski, showing how the Islamic epistemology contributes to establishing new thought in mathematical logic with unity of the divine law.

Findings

The paper finds that behind the critique of the axioms of provability and non‐provability, decidability and undecidability, lies the morally valid episteme of all socio‐scientific systems and that this is as true of social systems as it is of the hard‐core sciences.

Research limitations/implications

The paper has the potential for extension to applications, which has not been included.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to new and original thinking in the area of mathematical logic of self‐referencing theorem in the framework of unity of the divine law as the episteme of “everything”.

Citation

Alam Choudhury, M. and Zaman, S.I. (2009), "Self‐referencing as socio‐scientific methodology in contrasting paradigms", Kybernetes, Vol. 38 No. 6, pp. 990-1003. https://doi.org/10.1108/03684920910973199