Complex adaptive systems and Chinese philosophy : a fruitful resonance

Ott, Margus (author)

In this paper, a connection is made between complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory and Chinese philosophy. Some central features of CAS are presented, grouped under a complexity and an adaptivity set. Under the complexity-set the following characteristics are discussed: complexity, connectedness, modularity, scales, boundaries, embeddedness, heterogeneity, perspectivism, implication centres, distributedness, robustness, and patterns. And under the adaptivity-set the following notions are discussed: adaptivity, dynamics, openness, contextuality, non-equilibrium, non-linearity, sensitivity to initial conditions, threshold effects, path dependency, emergence, self-organization, and temporality. Corresponding notions from the Chinese traditions are also presented, from different times and texts. This suggests that Chinese philosophical traditions could offer good ontologies for CAS. Conversely, CAS could be used to resist certain ossifying and mechanizing tendencies in the Chinese tradition; for instance, the idea that yin-yang and five phases can be tied to fixed entities and qualities. No homogeneous Chinese tradition is presupposed, and rather it is claimed that the ideas underlying CAS can be found across traditions and in several thinkers.

• Language: English
• Keywords: complex adaptive systems, comparative philosophy, ecosystems, temporality, contextuality
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2026
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 253-280
• Numbering: Vol. 14 (30), 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-187583
• UDC: 1
• ISSN on article: 2232-5131
• DOI: 10.4312/as.2026.14.1.253-280
• COBISS.SI-ID: 290830595
• Publication date in RUL: 11.09.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Asian studies = Azijske študije
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265206272

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

Članek vzpostavlja povezavo med teorijo kompleksnih adaptivnih sistemov (KAS) in kitajsko filozofijo. Predstavljene so nekatere osrednje značilnosti KAS, razvrščene v sklop kompleksnosti in sklop adaptivnosti. V sklopu kompleksnosti članek obravnava naslednje značilnosti: kompleksnost, povezanost, modularnost, merila, meje, vpetost, heterogenost, perspektivizem, implikacijska središča, razpršenost, robustnost in vzorci. V sklopu adaptivnosti pa obravnava naslednje pojme: prilagoditvena zmožnost, dinamika, odprtost, kontekstualnost, neravnovesje, nelinearnost, občutljivost na začetne razmere, pragovni učinki, odvisnost od poti, emergenca, samoorganizacija in temporalnost. Članek prav tako predstavi ustrezne pojme iz kitajskih tradicij iz različnih obdobij in besedil. To nakazuje, da bi kitajske filozofske tradicije lahko ponudile dobre ontologije za KAS. Obratno pa bi KAS lahko uporabili za odpor proti določenim togim in mehanicističnim težnjam v kitajski tradiciji; na primer proti ideji, da je mogoče yin-yang ter pet faz vezati na fiksne entitete in lastnosti. Članek ne predpostavlja homogene kitajske tradicije, temveč trdi, da je mogoče ideje, ki so v temelju KAS, najti v različnih tradicijah in pri več mislecih.

• Keywords: kompleksni adaptivni sistemi, primerjalna filozofija, ekosistemi, temporalnost, kontekstualnost