On System Complexity

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Systems thinking and approach is a very interesting tool of inquiry especially when looking at issues and trying to tackle changes

that are the natural outcome when phenomena interact.

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Essentially, problems are tackled most effectively when analyzed systematically. What this means is that since 'problems/challenges'

are the outcomes of systems, solutions should be sought from looking at how the constituent parts of a system interact internally

and externally. Which means you will have systems within systems within systems...almost ad infinitum till you get to a relatively

'simple system' - if anything like that exists! This is because most things thought to be simple are actually complex if looked at

more closely. However, to avoid complications we 'simplify' in order to allow for meaningful discussion.

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Now since complexity is inherent in almost all systems - varying only by degree - in order to have a working framework we can look

at situations that arise from phenomena interacting and basically divide them into 4 as follow:

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1. Static complexity: Let's take an airplane sitting on the runway. On its own it is inactive and we can look at the complex

constituent parts that make it up and to a large extent state what will happen within the system.

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2. Dynamic complexity: Now if we take the plane and put it into the air transport system the airplane becomes an active system

(within another system). This changes the dynamics! It also exponentially raises the probability of error in predicting outcomes and

qould thus need a more complex response in dealing with issues that arise.

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3. Wicked complexity: Now add the human element and you will then understand what 'unpredictable' means. This is what makes the

complexity 'wicked' because the complexity is beyond prediction and there is no way of predicting with exactness what will happen.

That is why the common social enquiry maxim employed to create a laboratory-like environment for studying human behavior is

'ceteris paribus' (all other things being equal).

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4. Globalization: Prior to modern times, systems could pretty much remain isolated and would hardly be affected by or have effects

on surrounding systems because there were hardly any interconnections powerful enough to produce 'impact'. Today however, over

the course of the industrial revolution upto the information age and into the future conceptual age, the world and phenomena within it

have continued to interact at increasingly more impactful rates. Nothing is any longer isolated or too remote to affect or be affected

by the world's phenomena.

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Haidarwali 201609240841hrs