ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies a number of reasons why Western computer 'models' are not a priori applicable in non-Western contexts. The interpretation of reality into a model is affected by three factors: what is the conception of reality, who has the conception and what is the purpose of the model. Models help to understand the world around us and to communicate this understanding to others via text-books, articles. The chapter describes how changes in the conceptions of reality in the West has led to world view that is predominant in the West and which has shaped the concepts of rationality and time into their specific Western forms. It analyses the two steps: from reality to model and from model to computer programs. The chapter shows that the steps from reality to computer programs are much more controversial than is realized. One and the same reality can be interpreted by different models, each model having its perspective and highlighting particular phenomena.
