Edgar Morin’s theory of complex thinking

The French author's theory delves into the confines of reflective and moral thinking.

Each person has his own vision of the facts, in addition to being influenced and, why not say it, indoctrinated by the principles in which, unconsciously, his educational center, his social group or family have immersed him.

Morality is something that varies greatly depending on where you were born, but the truth is that, with the development of society as we know it today, it seems that local morality is no longer something as solid and valid as it was in the past.

Within the philosophy of Edgar Morin s philosophy proposes the idea of opting for a more holistic view of the facts, both in terms of scientific knowledge and ethical-moral perception, and understanding that more than differentiated cultures, we are part of an enormous planetary culture.

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Within his theory of complex thinking he tries to expose how this vision should be promoted, and this article is focused on trying to explain in more detail his proposal.

Theory of complex thinking: what is it?

The notion of complex thinking was coined by the French philosopher and sociologist of Sephardic origin, Edgar Morinborn Edgar Nahum.

This idea refers to the ability to connect different dimensions of reality, which has been characterized by acquiring more and more components as humanity has progressed and evolved. Reality could be compared to a tissue, composed of multiple tissues and, therefore, something really complex.

The greater the complexity, the more details about the society in which we live must be taken into account. The person should not think by reducing what he/she is experiencing, nor should he/she choose a position based on one or a few facts. Thus, due to the characteristics of today's society, it is necessary that the person, in order to have a well-founded opinion, reflect carefully on the information he or she receives. This reflective capacity is what Morin called complex thinking..

Complex thinking is, in essence, a strategy that has a globalizing intention, that is, it tries to encompass all the phenomena of which one is present, but taking into account their particularities as the different events that they are. This concept is totally contrary to that of simplifying thinking, which unifies all knowledge to a single vision, annulling the possible diversity and leading the person, whether student or teacher, to a 'blind intelligence'.

The term complexity, in Edgar Morin's thought, can be represented as a kind of large net, whose thin threads intertwine and relate its components. The threads are events, actions, interactions, retroactions, determinations, randomnesses that make up the world.

Complex thinking addresses issues, both profound and trivial, such as the concern about where the human species is heading, the social problems that are emerging every decade and how these can be solved with proper education.

Complex thinking is not innate. It must be educated in it and its application must be promoted. The philosopher specialized in pedagogy Matthew Lipman was of the opinion that it was extremely necessary to inculcate this type of thinking in children at an early age. Complex thinking has the remarkable characteristic of not accepting a fact as something categorical and undoubtedly credible, but to encourage the search for other options, to explore and see to what extent what is perceived is true or not.

The seven basic skills for the education of the future

Edgar Morin believes that education should aim to encourage reflection in its students. Students should not accept facts as undoubtedly true, but should seek, as if they were authentically using the scientific method, possible alternative explanations to the knowledge they have learned.

Thus, in 1999, Morin proposed the seven basic knowledge or principles for the education of the future, which were published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).These were published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. According to this philosopher, every society, regardless of its culture, should try to foster this knowledge in its population.

1. Curing knowledge blindness

All knowledge carries with it a risk of error, which can be major or minor.. As has always been the case with science, there are data that at one moment in history are taken as truth and, after being investigated again, are refuted.

Knowledge is something that evolves and, therefore, can be very relative and fragile. That is why students must be taught that what they are learning is something that can accept changes over time, and that they are not absolute truths.

Thus, one must be critical of one's own knowledge.

2. Ensuring relevant knowledge

This principle is especially important in the era of new technologies, refers to the importance of knowing how to select conscientiously the bombardment of data and information we receive..

It is necessary to detect which information is truthful, with expert opinion behind it. It is also important to understand what are real problems and what type of information is adequate to solve them.

General intelligence is based on the knowledge that is accepted by the population, and also by the criticism that is made of it.

3. Teaching the human condition

The human species is divided into ethnic groups, religions, languages, countries and nations. It is very important to understand that, even if there are differences, all people are part of the same humanity..

We must appreciate cultural diversity and not try to homogenize humanity, but also understand that everyone has the same rights and obligations.

People should be contextualized in terms of the situation in which they are living, not as something that is undoubtedly inseparable from them.

4. Teaching earthly identity

Related to the previous point, it must be understood that the thousands of years of human history have witnessed how what at first must have been a single ethnic group, a pristine culture, gradually expanded and fragmented into many others.

However, thanks to the advent of technology, whether through intercontinental transportation or computer networks, it is possible to establish contact very easily with people from cultures radically different from one's own.

It is necessary to understand that the development of mankind must be promoted not only in economic terms, but also in terms of the environment and the environment.The emergence of the aforementioned technologies has not only helped to promote intellectual, emotional and moral development on a global scale.

National, regional and local identities are fine, but the identity that unites all people, as citizens of the Earth and therefore members of an earthly megaculture, has always been largely neglected.

5. Facing uncertainties

Uncertainty, in itself, need not be a good thing, nor a bad thing.. Students should be taught that history will always face a situation of uncertainty, in which the next phase may involve a breakthrough or, on the contrary, a real catastrophe.

History, as has happened to Biological evolution, is not linear. It progresses by means of deviations and shortcuts, which can lead to great progress at one moment and, at another, to a return to the starting point.

Chance and lack of control of the whole system is undoubtedly inherent to the human condition.

This, in turn, applies to knowledge, which can also be uncertain. It may be that what is actually discovered is not as true as it was believed to be when data appears that disproves it.

6. Teaching understanding

Understanding should be fostered both within one's own group (in-group) and in relation to people from different groups, whether in cultural, linguistic, cultural or linguistic terms.It is very important to understand that understanding and communication are two different things, whether culturally, linguistically, religiously or otherwise.

It is very important to understand that understanding and communication are not synonymous. Despite new technologies that facilitate contact between very different people, this does not mean that the ethical codes present in each culture have been overcome, or that those of the other ethnic group are understood.

One's moral values can be an obstacle to putting oneself in another person's shoes. The great enemies of understanding, according to Edgar Morin, are egoism, ethnocentrism and sociocentrism.

Teaching understanding means teaching not to reduce the human being to one or several of his or her qualities, given that, in reality, these are multiple and complex.

7. The ethics of humankind

Ethics should be fostered not only in individual terms, i.e., that each person has a respectful morality towards others, but also the idea that each person has a respectful morality towards others. The idea that one's own group should behave in a moral way when in contact with others should also be encouraged..

In addition, the creation and teaching of an ethic valid for the entire human race should be encouraged, something like the equivalence of human rights but in terms of moral obligations.

It is understood, based on Morin's vision, that the maximum exponent of this principle is to make democracy common to all countries of the world.

This democracy should not be synonymous with dictatorship of the majority, but should be a form of government in which, although some will have a greater voice, the multiple opinions of its citizens are respected and listened to.