Kuhlmann, Meinard (2011) Mechanisms in Dynamically Complex Systems. [Preprint]

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Abstract

In recent debates mechanisms are often discussed in the context of ‘complex systems’ which are understood as having a complicated compositional structure. I want to draw the attention to another, radically different kind of complex system, in fact one that many scientists regard as the only genuine kind of complex system. Instead of being compositionally complex these systems rather exhibit highly non-trivial dynamical patterns on the basis of structurally simple arrangements of large numbers of non-linearly interacting constituents. The characteristic dynamical patterns in what I call “dynamically complex systems” arise from the interaction of the system’s parts largely irrespective of many properties of these parts. Dynamically complex systems can exhibit surprising statistical characteristics, the robustness of which calls for an explanation in terms of underlying generating mechanisms. However, I want to argue, dynamically complex systems are not sufficiently covered by the available conceptions of mechanisms. I will explore how the notion of a mechanism has to be modified to accommodate this case. Moreover, I will show under which conditions the widespread, if not inflationary talk about mechanisms in (dynamically) complex systems stretches the notion of mechanisms beyond its reasonable limits and is no longer legitimate.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Kuhlmann, Meinard meik@uni-bremen.de
Keywords:	mechanisms, complex systems, dynamics, non-linear interaction, (statistical) self-similarity, robustness, econophysics, congestive heart failure
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology General Issues > Causation Specific Sciences > Complex Systems Specific Sciences > Economics General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Medicine Specific Sciences > Physics
Depositing User:	Meinard Kuhlmann
Date Deposited:	03 Jan 2011 15:57
Last Modified:	03 Jan 2011 15:57
Item ID:	8442
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology General Issues > Causation Specific Sciences > Complex Systems Specific Sciences > Economics General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Medicine Specific Sciences > Physics
Date:	2 January 2011
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8442

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