AbstractProfessor Ackoff's planning paradigm of participation, continuity and holism is reviewed in terms of the practical problems of attempting to implement these ideal principles. His proposal of using the paradigm to design ideal-seeking systems is compared with the market-based approaches advocated by Professor Friedman. That comparison draws on Professor Hirsch's critique of the efficiency and moral content of the market and uses that critique on Professor Ackoff's suggested alternatives.