Our complex world : understanding it, living in it, sustaining it

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:We live in a complex world. We have questions and face problems thatdefy conventional reductionist approaches to finding answers and solutions.This is because we find ourselves dealing with complex systems that aredynamic, self-organizing and adaptive, while maintaining a balance betweenstatic order and chaotic change.The Earth, or Gaia, is such a system. So is the biosphere, and so is an ecosystem,an economy, a business and any living organism, including homo sapiens. Byconcentrating on the connections and interactions between entities, and notthings in themselves, complexity research is enabling us to grasp a betterunderstanding of the spontaneous, self-organizing dynamics of our world.Complexity studies can have an enormous impact on the conduct of economics,business and politics.This thesis describes the characteristics of complex systems, analyzes the Earthand its evolutionary story as a complex adaptive system, discusses how we canharness complexity, and how through cooperating and caring we can survive andeven prosper in the world of today. A pluralistic moral 'world vision' is argued for,founded on an ethics of universal compassion for all living things, that can lead toresponsible and pragmatic action.As human beings, if 'He are to uplift the poor and restore and preserve the ecologyof the Earth, what will be required is a major transformation of our environmentallydestructive world economy into one that can sustain progress and human flourishing.This will entail a change of mind and heart, a sense of global interdependence anduniversal responsibility.The challenges we face are immense. However, there are encouraging signs thatworldwide people are becoming increasingly aware of what is called for. More andmore people are showing their willingness to rise to the occasion. It is a time oftransition. It is complex, daunting, yet exciting.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University