From: Greg Fisher <greg.fisher@synthesisips.net>
Date: Sat, Feb 2, 2013 at 7:21 PM
Subject: Synthesis - Social v Natural Complex Systems
To: Michel Bauwens <michel@p2pfoundation.net>
Dear Michel,
Social vs Natural Complex Systems
"We might think of imagination as an emergent property of individual human beings. It is probably fair to say that what we imagine will be socially constructed but our ability to imagine results from our DNA and therefore evolution. One of the important phenomena that arises collectively i.e. within social systems, as a result of imagination is reflexivity. This concept is less commonly understood and discussed than it ought to be..."
In this article I discuss an important issue for those of us who seek to use the complexity sciences to make sense of social systems and to inform public policy, which is the distinction between natural and social complex systems. It's important not to put people on a pedestal for the sake of self-flattery but we should also appreciate some fundamental differences between these two systems else we might end up mapping framings from the natural sciences inappropriately and underemphasising issues like reflexivity.
Best wishes,
Greg Fisher
Greg Fisher
Managing Director
Synthesis IPS
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