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The Paradigm
of Complexity is centred in the rich conceptual basis of the
non-linear science – the science of turbulence and chaos, emergence and
fractals, self-organisation and criticality: the science of complexity.
The word “complexity” originates from the Latin word “complexus”
which means “totality”; the science of complexity explores totality
(the wholeness) of dynamics - forces, energies, substances and forms,
permeating the whole universe and connecting everything that exists
in a whirling web of dynamic interrelationships and interactions.
Different are the scales of manifestation of this web – micro and
macro, organic and inorganic, animate and inanimate, natural and
simulated, individual and social, plant-like, animal and human.
However different the scales of the web, the dynamics at each scale
exhibit similar characteristics and regularities. The study of these
characteristics and regularities forms the conceptual basis of the
paradigm of complexity.
The most significant characteristic of the complexly interwoven
dynamics is their capacity to give birth to emergent phenomena. This
characteristic is vital for any form of life; whatever resists
emergence is condemned to death.
Every emergent phenomenon implies changes in the dynamics,
where it occurs. When the changes in the dynamics characterise
with directedness, dynamic stability and continuity, the dynamics
become self-organising. Self-organisation can
be of evolutionary or transformative character.
Vortex is the icon of complexity; it provides an image for
emergence of a dynamically stable pattern in turbulent conditions.
The vortex is characterised by a centre and a particular kind of
balance between centripetal (outwardly directed, ‘explosive’) forces
and centrifugal (inwardly directed, ‘implosive’) forces. Examples
of vortices in nature are eddies, whirlpools, whirlwinds, tornadoes,
maelstroms, hurricanes.
The vortex is a metaphor of oneness (wholeness) which is centred, and
which creates and preserves emergent forces. It is a metaphor of
spontaneously formed unity-in-motion, devoid of artificially built
foundation or imposed structures. There is no rigidness in the
vortical dynamics, no pre-designed boundaries, no extremes and polar
points, no division.
Vorticity is capacity of interactive fluid dynamics to form vortices
and, therefore, to give birth to emergent forces. In this sense,
vorticity can be considered as ability to produce emergence.
Vorticity is an expression of energy, and energy obeys a simple and
unbreakable law: only energy can create energy, no matter
under what forms. From a state of potentiality, energy becomes
motion, explosion, growth, transformation, and then again ‘implodes’
into potentiality. Vorticity behaves in the same way; once ‘imploded’
in the fluid dynamics in may turn into whirlpools and tornadoes, and
then again to ‘calm’ down in a dormant state.
The Law of Vorticity (Dimitrov, 2001) says: Only vorticity can
create vorticity. Taking into account that vorticity closely
relates to the ability of fluid dynamics to produce emergent
phenomena (forces of implosive and explosive nature), we can
formulate the Law of Emergence as follows:
Only emergence in potentiality (in a ‘state of implosion’) can
transform into emergence in actuality (in a ‘state of explosion’).
It follows from the Law of Emergence that:
(1) the
impetus for emergence is the urge for realisation of the potential
inherent in the interactive dynamics;
(2) emergence
is not arbitrary or accidental but depends on a law, according to
which each thing or state of existence can only change into something
already inherent in its own nature.
As energy is ubiquitous, human dynamics also obey
its law. Heisenberg captured this by saying: "The same regulating
forces, that have created nature in all its forms, are responsible
for the structure of our psyche and also for our capacity to think"
(Heisenberg, 1971: 101). The universe does not select a special kind
of dynamics to manifest through humans and another - through the rest
of the existential forms. Human dynamics unfold at their specific
scale imbedded in the all-embracing spiral-like (vortical) structure
of the galaxy.
The vortices of human dynamics are responsible for the charge of our
‘life batteries’, for our ability to ‘implode’ inwards in order to
understand ourselves and look for the inner essence, for the centre,
for the umbilical cord, which connects us with the never-exhausted
treasure of creative energy in the universe.
The vortices of human dynamics are responsible for our outward
activity.
Without consciously developed ability to create vortices out of the
‘swarming’ dynamics of our thoughts, and beliefs, feelings and
emotions, aspirations and dreams, all the energies that we produce go
astray into the ‘human experiential space’ (Dimitrov and Ebsary,
1998) while bringing forth more confusion than understanding, more
pain than joy, more illness than health, more suffering than
happiness, more thoughts of sorrow than of inspiration.
As the emergence plays a primary role in the processes of
self-organisation, evolution and transformation, let us emphasise on
some of its main characteristics from the point of view of human
dynamics.
1. Emergence is a manifestation of the wholeness of our being,
therefore the more developed our ability to see the whole picture,
the totality and completeness of our relationships with the world and
with our inner selves, the deeper our understanding of the emergent
phenomena. Unfortunately, we tend to be blinded by tiny fragments of
our experience to which we cling under the influence of all kinds of
desires, most of which are animalistic or meaningless. When blinded
to the wholeness of existence, we loose the great connections and
inner relations which give meaning and harmony to the flux of life.
Emergence can be perceived only in the present. By being occupied
constantly with the past or by anticipating the future, we are far
away from understanding the emergence. The forces of habits,
prejudices and routines make us slaves of necessity to move on the
frequently trodden and therefore easier paths, and thus deprive us of
developing capacity to see an emergent phenomenon as it forms and
arises. When we are free from the burden of the past and future, then
we can fully ‘sense’ and experience the emergence.
3. The linear world – the world of cause and effect, action and
reaction – is stored in our brains as instincts, memory, conceptual
and emotional associations; when living only in this world, we can
never grasp spontaneity of the emergence. As long as linear thinking
and strictly logical inference dominate in our lives, the emergence
remains unnoticed. The dissecting knife of the analytical reasoning
can operate only with what follows after the emergence occurs.
4. If we try to impose our reasoning or will upon the emergence
imbedded in the unfolding of any natural process (either in us or in
the environment) in attempt to fight with it or ‘improve’ it, without
deep understanding of its laws and its far-reaching effects, we may
violate the natural rhythm and cause irreparable damage to our
self-healing ability or the self-restoring ability of nature.
5. Emergence exhibits rhythm and direction, which are at the core of
any self-organising process (Dimitrov, 2000). To understand
self-organisation means to reveal consistency of its rhythm,
stability its direction and continuity of its organic development.
Although the mind is a powerful coordinator of our senses and
instrument of our remembrance, projections and awareness, it is not
enough to grasp the emergence and self-organisation. Without the
participation of our hearts and souls, without constant efforts to
expand our consciousness beyond the limitations of our ego-centred
thoughts and desires and thus to grow in wisdom, the emergence and
self-organisation will never reveal their secrets to us.
References
Heisenberg, W. (1971). Physics and Beyond:
Encounters and Conversations, New York: Harper&Row.
Dimitrov, V. (2001) Vorticity of
Human Dynamics, Internet publication.
Dimitrov, V. and Ebsary, R. (1998) Intrapersonal Autopoiesis,
Internet publication.
Dimitrov, V. (2000) Rhythm of Self-Organisation, Internet
publication.
( © Dimitrov, V., 2003 )
VLADIMIR DIMITROV is a researcher at the Centre for Systemic
Development of the University of Western Sydney – Hawkesbury,
Australia.
E-mail: mailto:v.dimitrov@uws.edu.au
