Complexities

Social Studies of Knowledge Practices

John Law, Annemarie Mol, John Law, Annemarie Mol, Barbara Herrnstein Smith, E. Roy Weintraub

• Publisher: Duke University Press Books
• Year: 2002
• Print ISBN: 9780822328469, 9780822328315
• eBook ISBN: 9780822383550
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Epistemology in Philosophy

Although much recent social science and humanities work has been a revolt against simplification, this volume explores the contrast between simplicity and complexity to reveal that this dichotomy, itself, is too simplistic. John Law and Annemarie Mol have gathered a distinguished panel of contributors to offer—particularly within the field of science studies—approaches to a theory of complexity, and at the same time a theoretical introduction to the topic. Indeed, they examine not only ways of relating to complexity but complexity in practice.
Individual essays study complexity from a variety of perspectives, addressing market behavior, medical interventions, aeronautical design, the governing of supranational states, ecology, roadbuilding, meteorology, the science of complexity itself, and the psychology of childhood trauma. Other topics include complex wholes (holism) in the sciences, moral complexity in seemingly amoral endeavors, and issues relating to the protection of African elephants. With a focus on such concepts as multiplicity, partial connections, and ebbs and flows, the collection includes narratives from Kenya, Great Britain, Papua New Guinea, the Netherlands, France, and the meetings of the European Commission, written by anthropologists, economists, philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, and scholars of science, technology, and society.

Contributors. Andrew Barry, Steven D. Brown, Michel Callon, Chunglin Kwa, John Law, Nick Lee, Annemarie Mol, Marilyn Strathern, Laurent Thévenot, Charis Thompson

Table of contents

• Contents
• Complexities: An Introduction,
• Romantic and Baroque Conceptions of Complex Wholes in the Sciences
• Which Road to Follow? The Moral Complexity of an ‘‘Equipped’’ Humanity
• On Space and Depth
• On Hidden Heterogeneities: Complexity, Formalism, and Aircraft Design
• In the Middle of the Network
• When Elephants Stand for Competing Philosophies of Nature: Amboseli National Park, Kenya
• Writing and (Re)writing Devices as Tools for Managing Complexity
• Cutting Surgeons, Walking Patients: Some Complexities Involved in Comparing
• The Disposal of Fear: Childhood, Trauma, and Complexity
• Contributors
• Index