Problems of conceptualization in the philosophy and science of complexity

In the article, the problems of a conceptual understanding of complexity are discussed. The concept of complexity is a general one; it is actively used in daily life, in the framework of general scientific and philosophical traditions, yet its subject and meaning remain hidden. Reflections on complexity include a variety of discourses suggesting that the concept has a general scientific and philosophical character. Currently, the concept “complexity” does not have a universal definition, and different perceptions of complexity (including mutually exclusive) organically coexist in the minds of philosophers and scientists. The dominance of the aggregative approach to complexity prevents its consistent interpretation. Modern literature does not clarify the diversity of existing definitions of complexity and its variations. In general scientific dictionaries, complexity is defined either by using absolute quantitative characteristics, or regarded as a secondary consequence of simplicity. Estimations of complexity are relative, and relate to the disciplinary area, cognitive scale and nature of objects under study. The article highlights aspects of complexity, problems of its definition that encompass objective and subjective features of complexity. The author offers a typology of approaches to complexity including reductionist and holistic options for its interpretation.

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