ABSTRACT
Politics becomes the struggle over the range and limits of fractal authority, as well as the search for self-organization in order for cooperation and effectiveness to emerge. The study of complex systems is the science of change and transitions, not equilibrium. Thus it constitutes an alternative paradigm that mirrors many debates in the biological sciences. The fundamental challenge is to develop a theory and practice of adaptive governance of complex systems. A system is complex when it has the following features: multiple elements, intricately interconnected with one another, nonlinearity and feedback loops, hierarchy and openness. This chapter defines these features more extensively with illustrations from global ecopolitics. Complex systems approach aims to supersede rather than replace the Cartesian model, just as relativity theory superseded Newtonian physics which nevertheless retains considerable usefulness. It represents the point of departure of stimulating research programs dedicated to finding new models of global governance.
