For over five hundred years the world has collectively lived in the Age of Science. The scientific paradigm holds that complex systems may be best understood by logically breaking these systems apart into smaller pieces, subsystems, each of which is then analyzed in a deterministic manner. In more succinct terms, the whole is the sum of the parts. While this approach, called reductionism, has worked remarkably well for centuries the world is starting to encounter systems that do not easily decompose into smaller, simpler subsystems. Unfortunately, the current set of scientific and mathematical tools are not well equipped to understand and analyze these kinds of systems. This paper outlines new approaches, and new tools, that may help us better cope with these more complex systems. They open the door to a new post-science paradigm, a systems paradigm.
Ken Matusow
Discuss on Forums
View All