Thagard / Woods Philosophy of Complex Systems

1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-0-08-093122-7
Verlag: Elsevier Science & Techn.
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band Volume 10, 952 Seiten

Reihe: Handbook of the Philosophy of Science

The domain of nonlinear dynamical systems and its mathematical underpinnings has been developing exponentially for a century, the last 35 years seeing an outpouring of new ideas and applications and a concomitant confluence with ideas of complex systems and their applications from irreversible thermodynamics. A few examples are in meteorology, ecological dynamics, and social and economic dynamics. These new ideas have profound implications for our understanding and practice in domains involving complexity, predictability and determinism, equilibrium, control, planning, individuality, responsibility and so on.Our intention is to draw together in this volume, we believe for the first time, a comprehensive picture of the manifold philosophically interesting impacts of recent developments in understanding nonlinear systems and the unique aspects of their complexity. The book will focus specifically on the philosophical concepts, principles, judgments and problems distinctly raised by work in the domain of complex nonlinear dynamical systems, especially in recent years.-Comprehensive coverage of all main theories in the philosophy of Complex Systems -Clearly written expositions of fundamental ideas and concepts -Definitive discussions by leading researchers in the field -Summaries of leading-edge research in related fields are also included

Autoren/Hrsg.

Thagard, Paul

Woods, John

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Front Cover
;1
2;Philosophy of Complex
Systems;4
3;Copyright Page
;5
4;General
Preface;6
5;Contributors;8
6;Contents;12
7;Part I: General
Foundations;16
7.1;Introduction to Philosophy of Complex Systems: A;18
7.1.1;1 Introduction;18
7.1.2;2 Historical Notes on the Development of Complex Systems in Science;24
7.1.3;3 Conceptual Notes on Complexity;35
7.1.4;4 Special Topics;56
7.1.5;Acknowledgments;93
7.1.6;Bibliography;93
7.2;Systems and Process Metaphysics;106
7.2.1;A Brief History;106
7.2.2;1 Three Conceptual Shifts;107
7.2.3;2 Some Further Consequences;111
7.2.4;3 Challenges;112
7.2.5;4 Conclusion;117
7.2.6;Acknowledgments;118
7.2.7;Bibliography;118
7.3;Metaphysical and Epistemological Issues in Complex Systems;120
7.3.1;1 Introduction;120
7.3.2; 2 Nonlinear Dynamics: Folklore and Subtleties;121
7.3.3;3 Metaphysical and Epistemological Implications;131
7.3.4;4 Discussion;147
7.3.5;Acknowledgments;149
7.3.6;Bibliography;149
7.4;Computing and Complexity — Networks, Nature and Virtual Worlds;152
7.4.1;Introduction;152
7.4.2;Encapsulation and Modularity;153
7.4.3;Time, Space and Complexity;156
7.4.4;Virtual Laboratories;159
7.4.5;Natural Computation;164
7.4.6;Grand Challenges and the Future;168
7.4.7;Towards a Science of Complexity;170
7.4.8;Bibliography;174
7.5;Evolutionary Games and the Modeling of Complex Systems;178
7.5.1;Bibliography;190
7.6;General System Theory;192
7.6.1;1 Introduction;192
7.6.2;2 Epistemological Implications;195
7.6.3;3 Ontological Implications;200
7.6.4;4 Ethical Implications;206
7.6.5;5 Conclusion;208
7.6.6;Bibliography;208
7.7;Conceptualising Reduction, Emergence and Self-Organisation in Complex Dynamical Systems;210
7.7.1;1 Setting the Scene;210
7.7.2;2 Reduction in Complex Systems: The Basics;213
7.7.3;3 Reduction and Mechanism;218
7.7.4;4 Self-Organisation and Emergence;221
7.7.5;5 Conditions for Irreducible Emergence;227
7.7.6;6 Conclusion;234
7.7.7;Acknowledgments;235
7.7.8;Bibliography;235
7.8;Challenged by Instability and Complexity...;238
7.8.1;1 Introduction: The Stability Assumption is Unstable...;238
7.8.2;2 Instabilities;240
7.8.3;3 Methodological Challenges;246
7.8.4;4 How to Deal with Instabilities?;255
7.8.5;5 Conclusion and Prospects;264
7.8.6;Bibliography;265
8;Part II:
Biology;270
8.1;Complex Biological Mechanisms: Cyclic, Oscillatory, and Autonomous;272
8.1.1;1 Introduction;272
8.1.2;2 From Sequential to Cyclic Organization;275
8.1.3;3 Recognizing and Explaining Oscillatory Phenomena;282
8.1.4;4 Cyclic Organization and Oscillations as Features of Autonomous Systems;293
8.1.5;5 Conclusion: Implications for Mechanistic Science;295
8.1.6;Acknowledgments;297
8.1.7;Bibliography;297
8.2;On Causality in Nonlinear Complex Systems: The Developmentalist Perspective;302
8.2.1;Summary;302
8.2.2;1 Introduction;303
8.2.3;2 Thermodynamics and Information;306
8.2.4;3 Organization: Hierarchies, Flow Networks and Dissipative Structures;309
8.2.5;4 Developmental Ascendency and Evolutionary Change;311
8.2.6;5 Developmentalism: A Metaphysical Alternative to Reductionism;318
8.2.7;Acknowledgments;322
8.2.8;Bibliography;322
8.3;The Impact of the Paradigm of Complexity on the Foundational Frameworks of Biology and Cognitive Science;326
8.3.1;1 Introduction: Two Traditional Ways of Doing Science;326
8.3.2;2 The Challenge of Complexity: Understanding Holistic Organizations;329
8.3.3;3 The Impact of Network Thinking on the Conceptual Core of Biological and Cognitive Sciences;334
8.3.4;4 Specificities of Biological and Cognitive Complexity;337
8.3.5;5 The Present Outlook: Further Steps in the Modelling of Biological and Cognitive Systems;341
8.3.6;6 Conclusion: Towards a New View of Science?;343
8.3.7;Acknowledgments;345
8.3.8;Bibliography;345
8.4;Complexity in Organismal Evolution;350
8.4.1;1 Introduction;350
8.4.2;2 The Dynamical Constitution of Multicellular Organisms;352
8.4.3;3 Genetic vs. Phenotypic Complexity;354
8.4.4;4 Variation and Innovation in the Evolution of Morphological Complexity;355
8.4.5;5 Generation of Morphological Complexity During Development;358
8.4.6;6 Biochemical Pathways and "molecular Machines": Irreducible, Reducible, or Emergent?;360
8.4.7;7 Conclusion;363
8.4.8;Acknowledgments;364
8.4.9;Bibliography
;364
8.5;The Complexity of Cell-Biological Systems;370
8.5.1;Preface;370
8.5.2;Introduction;372
8.5.3;1 Some Elements of Systems Theory;375
8.5.4;2 The Cell and Its Complexity;381
8.5.5;3 Experimental Methodology;382
8.5.6;4 Data Handling;385
8.5.7;5 The Cell as a System;388
8.5.8;6 Systems Biology of the Cell;390
8.5.9;7 The Multileveledness of Cell-Biological Systems;392
8.5.10;8 Dealing with Uncertainty: Randomness, Stochasticity;394
8.5.11;9 What can we know about Living Systems?;396
8.5.12;Acknowledgments;398
8.5.13;Bibliography;398
9;Part III:
Ecology;402
9.1;Constructing Post-Classical Ecosystems Ecology;404
9.1.1;1 Traditions in Complex Systems Dynamics;405
9.1.2;2 The Dynamic Perspective of Post-Classical Ecology;412
9.1.3;3 Complex Dynamics and the Philosophy of Post-Classical Ecosystems Ecology;420
9.1.4;4 Conclusion;431
9.1.5;Bibliography;432
9.2;Complex Ecological Systems;436
9.2.1;1 Introduction;436
9.2.2;2 The Balance of Nature?;436
9.2.3;3 The Various Stabilities and their Analysis;441
9.2.4;4 Nonlinear Dynamics in Ecology;443
9.2.5;5 The Impact of Complex Systems Analysis;447
9.2.6;6 Conclusion;451
9.2.7;Bibliography;452
10;Part IV:
Engineering;456
10.1;Behavior and Cognition as a Complex Adaptive System: Insights from Robotic Experiments;458
10.1.1;1 Introduction;458
10.1.2;2 Behavior and
Cognition as Complex Systems;459
10.1.3;3 Behaviour and Cognition as Adaptive Systems;473
10.1.4;4 Discussion and Conclusion;475
10.1.5;Bibliography;477
11;Part V: Climatology;480
11.1;The Complex Dyanmics of the Climate System: Constraints on our Knowledge, Policy Implications and the Necessity of Systems Thinking;482
11.1.1;1 Introduction;482
11.1.2;2 The Earth's Climate as a Complex System;485
11.1.3;3 Climate Science;491
11.1.4;4 Case Studies of Complexity in the Climate System;498
11.1.5;5 Implications for Climate Policy Analysis;508
11.1.6;6 Current Decision-Making Paradigms;510
11.1.7;7 Conclusion;513
11.1.8;Bibliography;514
12;Part VI:
Economics;522
12.1;Economic Systems;524
12.1.1;1 Introduction;524
12.1.2;2 What should the Fundamental Unit of Analysis be in Economics — The Individual or Some Collective, Networked Entity or Should this be Variable Depending on Context?;528
12.1.3;3 How do Economic Systems Emerge?;531
12.1.4;4 If we cannot use Conventional Mathematics How do we Proceed analytically?;534
12.1.5;5 What are the Boundary Constraints on Economic Evolution and How can they be Captured Theoretically?;537
12.1.6;6 How can we Capture Historicalness in Theory?;539
12.1.7;7 Can Economic Theory and Economic History be Separated?;541
12.1.8;8 Conclusion;542
12.1.9;Bibliography;543
12.2;Econophysics and the Complexity of Financial Markets;546
12.2.1;1 Introduction;546
12.2.2;2 Complexity and Complex Systems;548
12.2.3;3 Probability Distributions;551
12.2.4;4 Neoclassical Economics;554
12.2.5;5 The Rough Guide to Econophysics;557
12.2.6;6 Statistical Puzzles (Aka 'The Stylized Facts');561
12.2.7;7 Stylized Facts According to Econophysics;566
12.2.8;8 Stylized Facts as Laws of Nature;569
12.2.9;9 Are Financial Markets Really Complex?;573
12.2.10;10 Conclusion;575
12.2.11;Resources and Further Reading;575
12.2.12;Acknowledgments;576
12.2.13;Bibliography;577
13;Part VII:
Anthropology;582
13.1;Complexity and Anthropology;584
13.1.1;3 Conclusion: Complexity and Anthropology;612
13.1.2;Bibliography;614
14;Part VIII:
Psychology;618
14.1;Dynamics of the Process of Development;620
14.1.1;Bibliography;639
14.2;Living in the Pink: Intentionality, Wellbeing, and Complexity;644
14.2.1;1 Intentionality and Other Dilemmas;644
14.2.2;2 Conceptual Building Blocks;646
14.2.3;3 The Third Kind of Behavior;655
14.2.4;4 Challenges and Opportunities;670
14.2.5;Acknowledgments;678
14.2.6;Bibliography;678
15;Part IX:
Medicine;688
15.1;Chinese Medicine and Complex Systems Dynamics;690
15.1.1;1 Contrasting Cosmologies: The Eleatic and Daoist Traditions;690
15.1.2;2 Articulating, Translating, Interpreting Chinese Medicine;697
15.1.3;3 Medical Treatment and Treatment Validation;708
15.1.4;4 The Roles of Practitioner Judgment and Individualised Medicine;713
15.1.5;5 Conclusion: Complexity, Evidence and Chinese Medicine;723
15.1.6;Bibliography;729
16;Part X:
Military Science;736
16.1;Military Applications of Complex Systems;738
16.1.1;1 Introduction;738
16.1.2;2 Science in Warfare;739
16.1.3;3 Complex Systems in Warfare;746
16.1.4;4 Future Military Applications of Complex Systems;765
16.1.5;5 Conclusion;787
16.1.6;Acknowledgments;788
16.1.7;Bibliography;788
17;Part XI: Public
Policy/Management;796
17.1;Complexity and Management;798
17.1.1;1 Introduction;798
17.1.2;2 Organisation, Complexity and Management;799
17.1.3;3 Evolutionary Drive and Organisational Adaptiveness;801
17.1.4;4 Ignorance and Learning;802
17.1.5;5 Complexity, Evolutionary Drive and Simplified Representation;805
17.1.6;6 Managing in Human Systems;809
17.1.7;7 Conclusion;817
17.1.8;Bibliography;821
17.2;Complex Systems Dynamics and Sustainability: Conception, Method and Policy;824
17.2.1;1 Introduction: Sustainability;826
17.2.2;2 Stage I: Reduce Environmental Burden — Linear Static Models;831
17.2.3;3 Stage II: Optimal Environmental Exploitation Trajectories — From Static to Deterministic Dynamical Models;834
17.2.4;4 Stage III: Sustained Adaptive Resilience — From Simple to Complex Dynamical Models;839
17.2.5;5 Complex Dynamics: Consequences for Sustainability Policy;843
17.2.6;6
Summary;851
17.2.7;Bibliography;852
18;Part XII:
Philosophy of Science;854
18.1;Introduction to Philosophy of Complex Systems;856
18.1.1;5 Elements of a New Scientific Paradigm for Complex Systems;857
18.1.2;6 Elements of a New Philosophy of Science for Complex Systems;881
18.1.3;7 Conclusion;917
18.1.4;Acknowledgments;918
18.1.5;Bibliography;918
19;Index;926