A Complexity Theory of Power
But now , well beyond Weaver ’ s 50-year deadline , it is clear we are still far from ushering in the new era of science Weaver hoped for , especially in realms of human complexity like economics and politics . A major stumbling block has been the epistemological divide separating the physical and human sciences . This essay has proposed a complexity theory of power as one tool to assist in bridging this divide . Drawing analogies between political phenomena and complexity-informed physical processes , this theory builds a political complexity lens with which to view social and political power conflicts . Turning the lens on four empirical instances of power conflicts , it postulates that clashing views of political order ( Figure 2 ) are not merely analogous but homologous to clashing views of physical order ( Figure 1 ). In this view , power imposed through a mugging , racial segregation , or the dictates of military rule reveals a unique type of physical disorganization . By contrast , the mutual exercise of power resulting in expansion of the suffrage or racial desegregation generates a unique type of physical organization . Although the four examples presented here in no way prove these homologous connections , I submit that the relatively good analytical fit provided by the proposed framework makes such ties plausible enough to merit further testing .
A complexity theory of power affirms basic principles needed for political development and growth . But a complexity focus on power and politics does not simply affirm contemporary democratic practices . It brings with it the long view of evolution about how growth occurs in nature . As theoretical biologist Stuart Kauffman notes “... the emerging sciences of complexity ... offer fresh support for the idea of a pluralistic democratic society , providing evidence that it is not merely a human creation but part of the natural order of things ” ( 1995 p . 5 ). Viewed in this context , democratization is a form of political development that reflects self-development patterns in the natural world . A physically-integrated view of politics that aligns the human passion for freedom with the indeterminism at the heart of matter can hopefully set us on the path to building genuinely self-organizing social , political and economic structures . In learning how to exercise power with , not over , others , we can integrate ourselves with the self-organizing pulse of nature .
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