Simple and Sophisticated. Philosophical Investigations on Complex Systems

Panagiotis-Alexandros Duskos

Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz

The subject of this talk is the philosophical investigation of complex systems. Attempts are made to show that there are two well-known behaviors of complex systems in the broadest sense – simplicity and sophistication. One speaks of simple behavior when general statements that can be easily reproduced are possible. This is how, for example, the ideal gas law is expressed with a few variables:

PV = kT

This formula represents the general phenomenon, namely the distribution of gas in a room. This simple behavior will be called the macro-level. However, little is said about the interaction of numerous molecules with each other, which makes all the system nearly intractable.

This sophisticated behavior will be called the micro-level. In a nerve cell’s axon, uncountable molecules appear to interact randomly making it impossible for us to investigate anything. The molecules taken as a whole behave stable: receiving a stimulus, electric charge runs up the axon. On the other hand, general statements, formulas, or graphs about the relationship within an ecosystem are very complicated. While a look at the micro-level, meaning the observation of individual animal species’ behavior, can be much more conclusive.

Even this small comparison suggests that the concept of complexity on one phenomenon in question can be a negation of the same concept in the other one. Both imply several issues that must be scrutinized if we want to understand what complexity actually is:

i. Does macro-simplicity emerge from micro-complexity?

ii. Does sophistication result from simple interaction components?

iii. Do we need both the micro and macro levels to understand complexity?

In this lecture, all three questions will be dealt with philosophically, which will make it possible to pave the way for further exploration of complexity, because, as will be shown, a conceptual basis must first be created in order to enable a definition of complexity at all.

Chair: tba

Time: tba

Location: tba