Determination of public goals in times of volatility and complexity

Pečarič, Mirko (author)

Purpose: The purpose of this text is to critically analyse the traditional approach to the formulation and application of legal rules, arguing that they are outdated and insufficient for addressing the complexities and dynamics of modern society and technology. Design/Methodology/Approach: Employing a qualitative research methodology, the paper adopts a case study approach, focused mainly on the practices of the legislature in determining public goals. The analysis identifies themes and patterns related to different practices regarding the determination of public goals and their impact on the legislature. The findings are discussed in relation to the theoretical framework established both in the literature review and this paper. The paper concludes with a summary of the findings, practical implications, and suggestions for future research. Findings and Practical Implications: Although technology nowadays plays a central role in human life, legislative public goals are still determined statically, reflecting a traditional Newtonian mechanistic perspective grounded in the principle of causality. Looking ahead, the paper speculates on potential scenarios. It suggests that the balance between nature, technology, law, and humanity requires careful management to ensure a harmonious but flexible co-existence. In the realm of complex legal issues, certainly can, to some extent, be maintained through an array of innovative methods. These include results- and procedure-oriented approaches to interactions between individuals and collectives, a legal system informed by feedback mechanisms and thresholds, the use of collective intelligence, the anticipation of adverse scenarios, and the implementation of adaptable norms. Such methodologies are intrinsically better equipped to navigate the unpredictability and complexity of modern legal challenges than traditional legalistic frameworks. Originality: The paper integrates insights from various disciplines, including law, system theory, and technology studies. This interdisciplinary approach offers a more comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between nature, technology, and law, a perspective often neglected in more narrowly focused studies. The originality of the paper lies in challenging existing forms of regulation and proposing new regulatory approaches grounded in the evolving nature of facts and associated rights and obligations of individuals and groups.

• Language: English
• Keywords: complexity, flexibility, legislation, public goals, collective wisdom, negative scenarios, adaptable norms
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FU - Faculty of Administration
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 63-83, 222-223
• Numbering: Vol. 22, iss. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-158236
• UDC: 35:34:316.653
• ISSN on article: 2591-2240
• DOI: 10.17573/cepar.2024.1.03
• COBISS.SI-ID: 197089283
• Publication date in RUL: 30.05.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Central European public administration review
• Shortened title: CEPAR
• Publisher: Fakulteta za upravo
• ISSN: 2591-2240
• COBISS.SI-ID: 293849600

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Določanje javnih ciljev v nestanovitnih in kompleksnih časih

Abstract

Namen: Namen prispevka je podati kritično analizo tradicionalnega pristopa k oblikovanju in uporabi pravnih pravil z argumentom, da je ta za obravnavo kompleksnosti in dinamike sodobne družbe in tehnologije zastarel in nezadosten. Zasnova/metodologija/pristop: V članku je uporabljena kvalitativna raziskovalna metodologija, in sicer študija primera, ki se osredotoča predvsem na prakso zakonodajalca pri določanju javnih ciljev. Analiza opredeljuje teme in vzorce, povezane z različnimi praksami določanja javnih ciljev, in njihov vpliv na zakonodajalca. Ugotovitve so primerjane s teoretičnim okvirom, pridobljenim iz pregleda literature in navedenem v tem prispevku. Članek se zaključi s povzetkom ugotovitev in vplivov v praksi ter predlogi za prihodnje raziskave. Ugotovitve in vpliv v praksi: Ne glede na vlogo tehnologije v življenju sodobnega človeka se zakonodajni javni cilji še vedno določajo statično, kar odraža tradicionalno newtonovsko mehanistično perspektivo, ki temelji na načelu vzročnosti. Prispevek predstavlja možne scenarije za prihodnost in izpostavlja, da je treba odnos med naravo, tehnologijo, zakonodajo in človeštvom skrbno uravnavati, da bi zagotovili harmonično in fleksibilno sobivanje. Področje zapletenih pravnih vprašanj je vsekakor mogoče do neke mere ohraniti z vrsto inovativnih metod. Te vključujejo k rezultatom in postopkom usmerjene pristope k interakciji med posamezniki in kolektivom, pravni sistem, ki temelji na mehanizmih povratnih informacij in pragov, uporabo kolektivne inteligence, predvidevanje neugodnih scenarijev in izvrševanje prilagodljivih norm. Takšne metode so po svoji naravi bolj primerne za obvladovanje nepredvidenih in za-pletenih sodobnih pravnih izzivov kot tradicionalni legalistični okviri. Izvirnost: V prispevku so združena spoznanja različnih disciplin, vključno s pravom, sistemsko teorijo in tehnološkimi študijami. Tak interdisciplinarni pristop omogoča celovitejše razumevanje zapletenega odnosa med naravo, tehnologijo in pravom, kar je v ozko usmerjenih študijah pogosto spregledano. Prispevek je izviren, saj oporeka obstoječim oblikam regulacije in predlaga nove regulativne pristope, ki temeljijo na spreminjajoči se naravi dejstev ter s tem povezanih pravic in obveznosti posameznikov in skupin.

• Keywords: kompleksnost, fleksibilnost, zakonodaja, javni cilji, kolektivna modrost, negativni scenariji, prilagodljive norme