It's a Bad Thing to Make One Thing Into Two: Disciplinary Distinctions as Trained Incapacities

Abstract

Eighteenth-century Japanese Samurai wisdom dictates that it is a bad thing when one thing becomes two . This wisdom is an organizing premise: The distinction between environmental sociology and sociology of natural resources is artificial and counterproductive. Distinctions between these subdisciplines are described as ''trained incapacities'' resulting from specialized training that narrows scientists' range of perception and reduces their effectiveness. The analysis uses the concept of postnormal science to illustrate that many modern environmental problems are too complex and ambiguous for science alone to solve. Specifically, the ordinary practice of science is unprepared to include significant uncertainties and cultural values in analyses. We argue for a merging of subdisciplines to create a new ''life science'' that reaffirms a commitment to understanding how social forces interact with biological forces and the physical environment.

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