An Acad Bras Cienc (2024) 96(4): e20231112 DOI 10.

1590/0001-3765202420231112
Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências | Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences
Printed ISSN 0001-3765 I Online ISSN 1678-2690
www.scielo.br/aabc | www.fb.com/aabcjournal

ENGINEERING SCIENCES

The Emergence of Edgar Morin’s

Complex Thinking

ENIO A. BLAY & JOSÉ ROBERTO C. PIQUEIRA

Abstract: Edgar Morin is more than 100 years old and has produced numerous original
ideas. Complex Thinking is his approach to complexity and took almost thirty years to be
written. He developed it based on many other thinkers but chiefly, we argue, on Wiener’s
Cybernetics, von Bertalanffy’s General System Theory and Shannon’s Information Theory.
This article describes and discusses how those latter theories have been incorporated
into Morin’s thought, especially in La Méthode, his magnum opus, and presents, in
a comparative fashion, his pros and contras on each of them. In our conclusion, we
discuss how some of Morin’s criticisms of the founding theories might be unjust and
also present a summary of some judgmental appraisals of Complex Thinking.
Key words: Morin, Complex Thinking, Complexity, Cybernetics, General Systems Theory,
Information Theory.

INTRODUCTION is based on the importance of Cybernetics, GST

and Information concepts and their frequent
Edgar Morin (Paris, 1921) turned 100 years old in
reference in the philosopher’s work:
2021. His enormous work spans from the theory
of the Complex Thinking to contributions in the In the beginning of La Méthode I thought
history of cinema, including several themes in- to deal with the organization problem
between like education and society. referring to the limits of systemic
The present paper analyses aspects that ideas (General Systems Theory) and
relate Morin’s Complex Thinking and three Cybernetics. On midway these ideas and
cornerstones of Complexity: Cybernetics, solutions became starting points and
Open Systems and Information Theory. More then, accumulations certainly necessary,
specifically, we will compare how ideas of which were dismantled as soon as they
Norbert Wiener’s Cybernetics (Wiener 1971), enabled me to understand the concept of
Ludwig von Bertalanffy’s General System Theory organization (Morin 2003, p. 43).
(GST) (Bertalanffy 1972) and Claude Shannon’s What Morin tells us here is that ideas
Information Theory (Shannon & Weaver and concepts of Cybernetics and GST were of
1949) are incorporated into Morin’s work and fundamental importance although he considers
how he criticized them as well as proposed having outgrown them.
enhancements. And where is Morin in the Complexity
As we will mention throughout this article, Science archipelago? (Li Vigni 2021). He is
there are many other scientists and theories grouped with the cibersystemists together with
considered in Morin’s oeuvre than those above other members of Le Groupe des Dix (The group
mentioned but the delimitation of our approach

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ENIO A. BLAY & JOSÉ ROBERTO C. PIQUEIRA THE EMERGENCE OF EDGAR MORIN’S Complex Thinking

of ten) (Chamak 2019). Although he definitely either from the original French edition (Morin
interconnects with several other groups. 1977, 1980, 1986, 1991, 2001, 2004) or the Brazilian
His wide interests and connections are Portuguese translation.
clear from, perhaps, his first work on the field
Philosophical, literary, and scientific referen-
of complexity, Le paradigme perdu [Paradigm
ces of Edgar Morin
lost] (Morin 1973) where he already dialogs with
natural, biological and social sciences being In the context of this article, we analyzed the
written after his return from a fruitful stay at the six volumes of La Méthode1 (Morin 2003, 2005,
Salk Institute in the USA. Morin & Da Silva 2005a, b 2011a, b), Morin’s
Finally, it is relevant to mention that Morin development of his Complex Thinking. It is
connects those three ideas highlighted in this therefore relevant to note his most important
study. In the volume dedicated to “Life of life”, theoretical references, which are presented in
he writes: the appendix. His influences range from Ancient
Greek Philosophy to references in quantum
The paradigm of self-(geno-pheno-ego)- physics and genetic engineering. So, when
eco-re-organization (computational/ thinking complexity, his thought is both broad
informational/ communicational), allows and deep. In his book about his influences, he
to integrate the physical-chemical cites as most relevant: Heraclitus, Buda, Jesus,
processes of the living machinery. It Montaigne, Descartes, Pascal, Spinoza, Rousseau,
integrates systemic, cybernetic and Hegel, Marx, Dostoyevsky, Proust, Freud, the
informational ideas [emphasis added] Frankfurt School (Adorno, Horkheimer and
while operating the disruption of any others), Heidegger, Ivan Illich and Beethoven.
organizational conception based on the Most importantly for this article, he mentions
artificial machine model (Morin 2005, and group together: Bergson, Bachelard, Piaget,
p. 394). von Neumann, von Foerster, Bohr, Popper, Kuhn,
The structure of this article is as follows: after Holton, Lakatos and finally Husserl (Morin
this introduction, we provide some background 2013). Of course, this list does not contain all
information on Morin’s intellectual history and references of La Méthode.
explain some of his most important and known He often feels that this mix-and-matching
concepts or paradigms. Next, we present an of different sciences is a characteristic that
analysis about cybernetics influence in Morin’s bothers traditional science as his perspectives
thought, explaining pros and contra arguments move seamlessly from one area to another,
he provides. Next, we draw similar considerations from knowledge to knowledge, giving a very
in systems theory, most emphatically in open different scientific approach compared to other
systems. Lastly, we bring forward the discussion scientists, including those in complex systems
about information theory. The paper concludes and other complexity areas. In the sense of
debating specific aspects of Morin’s analysis transdisciplinarity, it is interesting to realize,
and theories. We close with acknowledgements as Montuori writes (Morin 2008, p. xiv), that he
and references. In the appendix we furnish a list is very esteemed in Latin America and little
of main referenced authors in Morin’s work.
Where no original sources in English were 1
We maintain the original title because there are no
found, citations were translated by the authors, authoritative translation into English and translated Morin’s
articles keep this form in their references.

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ENIO A. BLAY & JOSÉ ROBERTO C. PIQUEIRA THE EMERGENCE OF EDGAR MORIN’S Complex Thinking

translated, therefore known, in Anglo-Saxon Machine

culture. The term machine is by no means limited to
artificial machines produced by humans. Before
A brief discussion of Morin’s Complex Thinking
the industrial era, the word designated complex
La Méthode was Morin’s magnum opus which
assemblies or arrangements whose operation
was written from 1977 to 2004. Each volume had
is regular and regulated. It can be the political
a subtitle, from Nature of Nature, followed by
and administrative machine. In La Méthode,
Life of Life, Knowledge of Knowledge, The Ideas,
it designates any entity, natural or artificial,
Humanity of Humanity and concluded with
whose activity involves work, transformation,
Ethics.
production.
It was a daring scientific enterprise where
Further, the machine produces the organized
he analyzed and explained what he considered
or the organizing from the unorganized, the
complexity and, at the same time, he (psycho)
more organized from the less organized. It
analyzed himself and posed doubts about his
involves transformations both chemical and
own findings. In that way he defied how normal
energetic, where forms are undone, destroyed,
science is made, in which the observers put
but also remade, renewed, metamorphosed.
themselves out of the system, as an impartial
It produces organization from disorganization.
and omniscient judge. And that role he
Machine beings (as Morin often refers to
condemns completely.
machines) participate in the process of growth,
To develop his complex approach to
multiplication, and complexification of the
everything, he created some ideas that could be
organization in the world. Through them, genesis
labelled as paradigmatic although according to
is prolonged, nourished and metamorphosed in
a Kuhnian view (Kuhn 1996), they would need a
and through production. The activity of the living
widespread adoption to be considered so. We
machines is not reduced only to manufacture,
present next some of them.
where the repetitive work and the multiplication
Apparatus and Machine of the same predominate, but it also includes
creation, where the ideas of generativity and
For Morin, both notions of Apparatus (“Appareil”)
novelty predominate (Morin 1977).
and Machine (“Machine”) are complex ideas.
Therefore, worth it to be explained here as Self (“Autos”)
they are needed to understand the cybernetic,
The term designates both the return of the same
systemic and informational topics discussed
through the cycles of reproduction (idem) and
further on.
the emergence of individual beings (ipse), the
Apparatus identical that defines a species (idem) and the
identity that defines an individual (ipse) (Morin
It is an original arrangement which, in a complex
1977).
organization, links information processing
to actions and operations, thus ensuring the Tetragram order/disorder/interaction/organi-
organization of the action (Morin 2003, p. 288). zation
It represents the connection between order/
disorder/organization, mediated by interactions
among them. This will be discussed further on.

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The organization itself is the agency of relations Hologrammatic principle

between elements, components, actions, or This concept that was introduced in La Méthode
individuals and possesses new qualities and volume 3 (Morin & Da Silva 2005, p. 60). With
properties compared to those of individual it, Morin wishes to convey the idea that the
elements; those properties can be called organization of the whole is found in the
emergent. parts that are within that whole, like the way
holograms are built. An example could be our
Self-(geno-pheno-ego)-eco-re-organization
DNA. Each cell contains the information that
Once the concept of organization is settled,
creates the whole body, as much as the body
Morin creates a complex notion of the self-
has all the cells.
(geno-pheno-ego)-eco-re-organization. Mostly
focused on living organizations, the idea here, for Unitas Multiplex
each prefix is: the self contains the autonomous The system, if considered as the whole, is
process, decided/executed by the being; homogeneous. If considered by its parts, is
geno means it is determined by its genome, diverse and heterogeneous. The complexity of
its hereditary load but not only that, as the the system is its unity and diversity at the same
phenotypical characteristics (pheno) appear, as time, as they repel and exclude each other.
an emergence, through the interaction between (Morin 2003, p. 134)
the chromosomic heritage and the environment.
Concerning the being’s decision, comes an Organizational recursion
egocentric (ego) notion and, for the influences As explained above, the re- prefix incorporates
of the environment, the ecological (eco) ones. many different meanings and characteristics
Lastly, there is a re- prefix, which provides the of the organization. They include replication,
repetition of the process, both for an individual restart, reinforcement, reproduction, repair,
being, its society and future generations. It takes representation (in the mind), remembrance and
Morin several hundred pages through several so on (Morin 2005, p. 373-388). As it is clear from
volumes to describe these terms for which we these attributes, Morin shows through some key
provide a simple glimpse here. He employs these terms, the multitude of concepts included in the
concepts choosing which prefix shall be used complex organization. The notion of recursion in
and which not, emphasizing a certain context. the organization is ampler than of the recursive
circuit in that the feedback in the organization
Dialogic
changes it entirely (e.g. culture in society)
It is another important paradigm. Inspired by whereas the circuit just control some part of the
Hegel’s dialectics, it differs from it in that you do behavior (Morin 2013, p. 140-145).
not end up with a synthesis from two opposing
ideas but remain and live with those two Ecology of action
concepts that exist at the same time and they The multiple interactions and feedbacks within
influence each other (e.g. individuum/society, the environment in which effects take place
body/soul, brain/mind). They are, at the same after the action is triggered, often escapes the
time, complementary/concurrent/antagonistic) agent’s control, and causes unexpected effects,
(Morin & Da Silva 2005, p. 110). sometimes even contrary to those originally
planned. There are two guiding principles: 1.

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action consequences depend not only on the in relation to causality. He concludes affirming
agent intentions, but also on the conditions that “[they] have connected all these terms in
of the environment in which it takes place an organizational way and, therefore, originated
and, 2. the long-term effects of actions are the first general science (that is, physical) that
unpredictable (Morin 2005, p. 100). has as its object the organization” (Morin 2003,
The list presented above is not exhaustive p. 300).
but might be helpful to better understand the
rest of the article and also arise the reader’s Implosion of scientific divide
curiosity to discover more about Complex For Morin, every science has to overcome
Thinking. the separation from other sciences defying
the classical approach followed in the past
by Descartes’ method and make an effort to
CYBERNETICS become more transversal and inclusive.
The ideas that came up with the appearance of Morin, when considering the aspects
cybernetics had a profound influence on Morin. that structure cybernetics views, cites in one
Many concepts were adopted in his theories and paragraph Maruyama, von Foerster, Ashby,
others he rejected to create his own ideas. As Walter, Ducrocq, Sauvan, Beer, Boulding, Bateson,
mentioned before, not just Wiener (1971), but Moles, Pask and Günther (Morin 2003, p. 301).
also Ashby (1956), Bateson (1967), von Foerster This plethora of scientists from different
(2003) and von Neumann (1958) are frequent specialties and backgrounds, who were involved
references of those that created and evolved in the cybernetics project have, according to
the cybernetical framework (François 1999; Kline him, imploded this scientific discipline divide
2015). and made it an open science with many “facets”
He explains: “During my discourse, I have as can be seen in works of synthesis like Klir
both supported and opposed cybernetic theory” (1991) or Altmann & Koch (1998).
(Morin 2003, p. 300).
Feedback
What speaks in favor of cybernetics?
The concept of feedback is perhaps the most
Therefore, it is clear that cybernetics had striking feature of cybernetics. It was the
influenced Morin and several concepts were scientific modelling of this effect that gave its
adopted and others, adapted. Here we mention importance in theoretical and applied sciences.
some of them, according to our notion of their In the second-order cybernetics (cybernetics
relevance. of cybernetics) (Foerster 2003, p. 283–286),
due to, among others, Maruyama (1974) and
Organization as study object
von Foerster (2003), the ideas of positive and
Morin has several conceptual building blocks negative feedback are highlighted, especially if
for the construction of complexity. Organization one considers the feedback causality.
is one of them. Wiener, he states, has the merit Soon both positive and negative feedback
of isolating the machine physical being and have been incorporated into the realm of
also included the feedback in the interaction, complexity as one of the mechanisms that
highlighted the circuit instead of the process, the enabled emergence of system behavior.
regulation instead of stabilization and teleology

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Morin relies on the several modes of artificial machines, which are far more limited
feedback and often uses them to explain the and restricted. This concern was equally shared
self-organization behavior, the regulating by Wiener himself (Wiener 1954).
mechanisms of life and even how culture molds
societies and society molds culture. Absence of positive feedback and more
Cybernetics lacked the concept of positive
Extending the concept of machines feedback which has been eventually included
Morin considered a very important step the later by Maruyama. This author discussed the
understanding of the artificial machine. Due to important concept of relational mutual causality
the efforts of cybernetics, machines could be (Maruyama 1974). Yet another concept cited by
controlled more efficiently. Morin, from von Foerster, is the development of
He also describes the production of self. circular causality (Foerster 2003, p. 230), also a
This idea connects the concept of the self- pivotal idea.
controlled machine with the living. Although As Morin further analyses cybernetics,
there is a clear shortcoming in the artificial he finds other aspects that were not at
machine, as it cannot repair and replicate itself, first considered by Wiener and some of the
the ideas of communication and control from forerunner cyberneticists. Besides the absence
cybernetics and concepts of open systems were of positive feedback, as already mentioned
of fundamental importance. above, he notices that complex causality and
uncertainty of teleology were not thought of.
What speaks against cybernetics?
Perhaps Morin is too strict in his criticism
and may not consider the fact that cybernetics,
Lack of a theory of the machine
like any other theory or paradigm, was not
“The first notion of machine comes from the born as a finished set of concepts but would
Wienerian revolution. We have to consider evolve in time. These evolutions are exactly
the machine as a physical being” (Morin 2003, what Maruyama, von Foerster and others did,
p. 200). So, what Morin does is to expand the especially regarding rigorous mathematical
notion. Machines are not only those that exist formalism (Mesarović & Takahara 1975).
in factories and at home but an “extended” view
where they are classified as entities that produce Communication and control as a means to
diversity. Consequently, they can be stars, living subdue society
beings and societies. The understanding of how communication
In that sense, what Morin resents is that and control act in a system or a machine
Wiener did not develop a theory about the was strongly praised but then, on another
machine, which he does in his first volume of level, Morin considers that these kinds of
La Méthode. interactions prevailed over society which began
According to Morin, every theory might to be commanded and controlled as a machine.
have a simplifying or complexifying approach. Accordingly, this effect is not considered a
And, due to paradigmatic, technocratic, and consequence of the paradigm but classified as
sociological forces, cybernetics has followed an ideological use of science.
the simplifying way. It has reduced all machine-
beings, both natural and living as equivalent to

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Disorder and Self is such a case. The famous paper Behavior,

Morin has brought many original ideas to Purpose and Teleology (Rosenblueth et al. 1943)
complexity. Two of them are mentioned as laid out ground to cybernetics but, according to
lacking in the early cybernetic approach. One is Morin, the authors had a simplistic approach to
disorder as a kind of force. The other is the self, teleology because they avoided to clarify the
as recognition of the personality who observes. origin of all reasons and justifications. In one
Disorder is for him just as important passage, he states:
as order, organization, communication, and […] unlike the artificial machine, conceived
computation, to mention the most relevant by a superior being who constitutes its
concepts. What Morin emphasizes is that all providence and gives it its program and
processes and systems depend on disorder. objectives in advance, the living machine
Without disorder to deregulate, disentangle and comes from a lower state of physical
dismantle objects and beings, the movement in organization, with no deus pro-machina,
the direction of order and organization could no “information”, no program: where does
not exist. The ideas of disorder and order and the “program” come from? Where does the
how they lead to organization come especially “information” come from? Where does the
from Order out of Chaos (Prigogine & Stengers purpose come from?” (Morin 2003, p. 314).
1984) and Noise as a self-organizing principle
Interestingly enough, Morin answers his
(Atlan 1972).
own questions and gave a solution to this
He depicts this idea with the ring or cycle
puzzle: after considering the importance of
(Figure 1), showing how each concept influences
the article mentioned above, he affirmed that
the other. Actually, it is very much like the
cybernetics needed a finality and it came from
depiction of the feedback process.
the machine itself, but it was teleonomic (that is,
The other missing aspect, he highlights, is
from within). This is exactly the creation-of-self.
the self (ego) which is normally recognized in
Finality is an emergence from the complexity of
psychology. But it is important to consider it in
the living organization, it is an immanent finality.
the other sciences, especially emphasizing the
And that is the conclusion: the purpose of life is
role of the scientist’s personality behind the
immanent within itself, and so the purpose of
theory, avoiding the so-called neutral approach
life is to live. On the other hand, this finality is
that would produce impersonal theories that, in
not sufficient to define life.
reality, do not exist.

Teleology vs. teleonomy

SYSTEMS
Despite scientific evolution, there are some
Morin’s viewpoint about systems in general
issues that persist due to their ontological
and GST (Bertalanffy 1972), in particular, is
intricacies, aporia in Moranian terms. Teleology
less focused than that about cybernetics. This
happens probably because the latter has a
more specific purpose and underlying theory
whereas the former is a more generic take on
diverse areas and applied with various premises
Figure 1. Logical ring of order and disorder.

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in different sciences. But other causes can be What speaks in favor of a general systemic
equally plausible (Pouvreau 2013). approach?
Nevertheless, in his first volume of La Systems are important units of analysis as
Méthode, Morin presents several definitions of described above. Consequently, Morin makes
systems ranging from Leibniz, von Bertalanffy, use of this idea throughout his work. When used,
Maturana, Ackoff, Rapoport, Mesarović, Saussure. the idea of system focusses more on the whole,
Finally, he presents his own definition: “[...] we while organizations tend to highlight the parts.
could conceive a system as an organized global
unity of inter-relations among elements, actions The concept of system
and individuals” (Morin 2003, p. 131). Here it is Morin, just like other system thinkers, sees
important to emphasize the use of the notion ensembles of parts and sets as systems.
of “organized”, a concept which is not present in Therefore, he classifies them as a kind of global
the other definitions. unity. One difference from other scientists might
But organization is one of the most important be a relatively lesser importance attributed to
concepts in Morin’s thought. Connecting the the system as a representation of the whole.
idea of system and organization is the trinitary He impinges more relevance to the idea of the
concept shown in Figure 2. organization:
Morin considers that, in normal science,
The system is the basic complex concept
the concepts of system and organization are
because it is not reducible to elementary
normally presented dissociated from each other,
units, to simple concepts, to general laws.
that is, either the scientific approach focus on
The system is the unity of complexity. It is
the system, or it focus on the organization. And
the basic concept because it can develop
he proposes that those concepts are aspects of
into systems of systems of systems, in
the same reality, and he aims at connecting them
which natural machines and living beings
through a possible interrelation. Therefore, each
will appear. These machines, these living
concept is distinguishable in itself but, at the
beings, are also systems, but they are
same time, they are to be united in this relation
already something beyond that. Our goal
(Morin 2003, p. 132-134).
is not to make a reductionist systemism.
We will use our concept of the system
universally, not as a key word of totality,
but as the root of complexity” (Morin 2003,
p. 185).
To be able to move up or down on the
grouping of systems level, he employs terms
like metasystem, suprasystem, subsystem,
ecosystem.

The open system concept

Another important feature of systems theory is
attributed to von Bertalanffy: the idea of open
Figure 2. Trinitary relation. system.

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An open system is defined as a system in What speaks against it?

exchange of matter with its environment,
presenting import and export, building- Either holism or system of parts
up and breaking-down of its material Morin considers that normal science sees a
components (Bertalanffy 1972, p. 141). system as either a whole or as a collection of
Morin takes it to extremes showing that parts.
there is not such a thing as a closed system He affirms that holism (treating systems as
just as there is not a completely open one. To wholes), as conceived by von Bertalanffy, lacks
preserve its characteristics, any system must an important aspect: when seen as a whole,
have some kind of opening and some sort of systems become static, that is, a specific given
closure, allowing it to interact with an inevitable entirety in time.
environment that always exists, while preserving But, as scientific observations show, these
its identity. wholes sometimes grow larger because of
In an interesting passage (Morin 2003, emergences or even shrink as some aspect
p. 152), Morin establishes a link between fades away.
systems theories and cybernetics. He observes As Morin puts it, the whole is more than the
that a complex system has antagonistic forces whole, and less than the whole (Morin 2003,
at play. Therefore, feedback (from cybernetics) is p. 158–161). And a holistic approach might miss
an intrinsic internal mechanism of any complex this phenomenon.
system. On the other hand, the second approach
handles systems as ensembles of interacting
Ecosystem (oikos-system-organization) parts. In those cases, a system could be
Maybe the expansion of the system concept gets studied considering the characteristics of these
him to use the notion of ecosystem, which is an individual parts. But this perspective will not
archetype of an open system. understand emergence which is a phenomenon
He starts discussing oikos, the Greek term that happens through the system but cannot
that defines the habitat. From there, emerges be ascribed to individual parts. The proper
the self-organization, the ecosystem as a living treatment of this problem can only be solved
machine, full of life and death, invention, and taking into account ontological questions not
creativity. He links matter, living being and only methodological ones (Bunge 1977, 1979).
energy, forming a loop. For him, opposing factors
Reclosure
create this complex environment.
So, he joins all the elements, physical and Morin argues about the impossibility of either a
living, through associations, to make sense of complete openness or total closure of a system.
the whole. Again, this is an important conceptual In that sense, he considers some systemic ideas
element to his theories. Although not innovative, simplistic. If a system is completely open, it
is used in a peculiar way. would lose its own identity, without borders
and self. Whereas a totally closed system could
not even exist. As an example, he mentions that
the very fact of its existence causes the system
own weight and therefore implies the effect

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of gravity, which is field interaction, that is, an A very important aspect Morin draws
external effect onto the system. attention to, is the need to consider the
generativity of information, namely, the
capability of creating new information. This
INFORMATION he terms “informationalization”. But he also
For both cybernetics and systems theory, comments that it is not possible to isolate
the information concepts are of paramount information from the apparatus that generates
importance. it. He also states that it is inconceivable to
In cybernetics, from Wiener’s original disconnect information from the biological or
book (Wiener 1971), there were already two the human and sociological contexts as if it
chapters concerning information. It is relevant would exist by itself.
to mention that already then, both meanings Considering the exchange of information,
differ. Specifically, in one chapter information he affirms that an ecosystem is therefore a very
is used in the sense of data in time series and complex communication universe as signals are
in another, Society and Language, as high-level exchanged in multiple ways: chemically, visually,
communication content. sound wise, and by gestures.
Concerning GST, von Bertalanffy considered As it is possible to perceive, the levels of
information as in Shannon and Weaver’s abstraction of the concept of information are
theory (Shannon & Weaver 1949). He correlated wide and dissimilar. Floridi quotes Shannon
information with entropy but often emphasized in writing that “it is hardly to be expected
that this theory was not enough to deal with that a single concept of information would
complexities of the organism. On the other hand, satisfactorily account for the numerous possible
in his GST work, information is not mentioned as applications of this general field” (Floridi 2010).
high-level elaborate content. Weaver explains that information analysis deals
Morin delves deeply into informational with 1) quantification, 2) semantic problems
issues. He highlights the importance Shannon’s and 3) influential problems in human behavior.
theory but subsequently started a stark criticism. (Floridi 2010)
For him, informational concepts structure A broader discussion about philosophy of
all subsequent theory of communication and information in this paper would be out of our
control. scope. But it is relevant to mention that current
He explains how information and entropy ideas about information indicate that it is “a
are comparable to each other. Brillouin, when distinction that makes a difference” (Floridi
analyzing Maxwell’s demon concluded for their 2010), as, for example, the absence of noise
correlation (Maruyama et al. 2009). Further, Atlan might be also meaningful (e.g. silence when an
connects the idea of information to entropy and engine should be running).
organization (Atlan 1988). What comes to mind for a contemporary
The discovery of DNA results in information reader is that several authors in the past mixed
becoming part of the living. But the duplication different meanings and levels of abstraction
of chromosomes is prone to errors. At the same of information thus proposing concepts and
time, those errors enable evolution, as explained theories, that in modern interpretation, seem
in “Order from noise” (Foerster 2003). imprecise or confusing. As an example, the
reader can take into account unifying efforts to

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deal with the concept of information in a broad Morin understands that this capability is very
sense with the scope to solve terminological important and must be present in information
ambiguities (Brier 2008; Hofkirchner 2016). theories.
Morin has a clearer picture about the
several layers information dwells. One example Use of information in biology
is how he refers to the various levels of DNA: as When the negentropy concept was about to be
(binary) data, in the chromosomes; as means introduced in the theories of life by Schrödinger
of communication in the replication process, as ideas (Schrödinger 1945), the discovery of the
(part of) the program that creates beings and chromosomes and genes by Watson and Crick,
therefore life. transformed the logic of living in a chemical and
informational process.
Aspects in favor of an information theory
Morin writes that we cannot underestimate
Given Morin’s acknowledgement and utilization the importance of the introduction of information
of a large part of information theory, there is no in biology. If for nothing else, it drove away the
doubt that it represents a pillar upon which he mechanistic and vitalistic conceptions still
develops his ideas. considered as arguments.
He employs concepts not just from Shannon Complementing what was explained
and Weaver but also from Brillouin, Atlan, previously, he develops a complex idea of the
Prigogine, and other fundamental thinkers of auto-(geno-pheno-ego)-eco-re-organizational
information theory. He returns often to Maxwell’s paradigm that integrates several other
Demon (Maruyama et al. 2009) and discusses paradigms, namely, the systemic, cybernetical
how information is stored in the brain, in the and informational. Although too far-fetched
DNA and is part of culture and society. to be completely explained here, his approach
encompasses the living being as an autonomous
Use of fundamental concepts (communication,
system, controlled by the cybernetic model which
control, negentropy)
uses communication to control and manage
Morin explains in a considerable level of detail the processes, using the biological resources of
concepts of Shannon, the statistical information genotype and phenotype that determine how
from Boltzmann and even provides the the living being should be and behave, and the
equations and their equivalence. He considers notion of information stored in the genes which
that cybernetics united communication and is processed through the DNA -> RNA -> proteins
control with information. And he also defines reproductive system. That, altogether, conveys
the organization, an important concept as the aspects that produce life.
already discussed, as being structured through
information. Use of information theory in society
Morin ponders that Brillouin solved When dealing with society, Morin highlights five
Maxwell’s Demon problem through the aspects of information (Morin 2003, p. 402–403):
necessary gain of information from the loss of the hypercomplexity of the human brain, the
entropy, that is, gain of negentropy, id est, gain double-articulation of language, culture as a
of organization. genophenomenal structure, the appearance of
Generativity is the capability to create the State (army, religion) and the development
new information. It is directly related to life. of urban centers.

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He discusses how the brain stores Drawbacks and limitations of information

information, learns, classifies and so on. theory
Language is also analyzed when considering But Morin is overly critical about some aspects
that it forms the individuals, and they form and and scientists of information theory. His views
are part of society. Language, spoken, written or often condemn others for using a classical
otherwise, is also the means to transmit culture approach (dividing and studying parts to
in form of information. understand the whole) or not seeing dialogic
Information is also embedded in relationships.
forming a specific culture. He classifies it as He also criticizes how information
genophenotypical because culture works just dominates science through command and
like DNA: human beings have it ingrained in control, accepting the idea of what is good for
their character. the machine or for the computers, is good for
The State is also a result of the articulation of humans. He considers this a stupidifying notion.
information. It is the sophisticated structuration
that allows control of society through laws and Limits of Shannon’s Information Theory
enforcement. Morin complains that Shannon does not
Lastly, he describes how urban centers consider meaning in his theory and hides
are the product and owe their existence to the anthroposociological metasystem that is
information as it articulates agents, enable implicitly considered. He also explains that
social life, and even promotes the interest of living being organizations are far too complex
living together. for Shannon’s approach, which do not provide
complexity measurements. It could be developed
Tool to understand cybernetics trough
though, Morin states, according to Atlan’s ideas.
information
Another limitation is the absence of
Morin sees a clear and direct connection between considering a true language. It does not make
information and cybernetics and often cites sense to transmit anything (and measure it)
both together. He is correct as the relationship if real emitters and receivers are not defined.
of both theories and even the scientists In his criticism, we can link information and
themselves have a complementary approach cybernetics when he prompts: “the introduction
to the objects of their study: “Communication of information into life, instead of being just
theory is heavily indebted to Wiener for much a cybernetic-Shannonian application, should
of its basic philosophy and theory” (Shannon & have been, should be, begins to be [...] the
Weaver 1949, p. 52). occasion for a revision and a complexification of
One of the aspects that Morin points out is the theory” (Morin 2003, p. 377).
the fact that, when Wiener adopts a model based There are two relevant ideas in Shannon’s
on communication and control, he changes the framework that are questioned in the
signification of information. It becomes the Complex Thinking. One is noise and the other,
program, that is, a set of compulsory instructions redundancy. For the Information Theory, noise is
to be followed and obeyed. a disturbing effect that prevents the receiver to
correctly decode the emitter message. Therefore,
is something to be avoided. Redundancy is

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ENIO A. BLAY & JOSÉ ROBERTO C. PIQUEIRA THE EMERGENCE OF EDGAR MORIN’S Complex Thinking

excessive, unnecessary data and might be disorder/interaction/order/organization

prevented. (physical)
Morin has a different understanding. He and
shows how noise (which can be translated as noise/information/redundancy/
errors) is actually an important factor to create organization (psychological)
variations, change and ultimately, provokes These rings provide the equivalence
evolution. Were it not by the “mistakes” or relationship between negentropy and
introduced in duplication for the DNA for information. The former being a physical
example, living beings could not evolve. measure whereas the latter, related to the mind.
The second point is redundancy. In In the case of the second ring, noise represents
a simplistic approach, it can be seen as uncertainty and doubt, information means
unnecessary data in the transmission of knowledge, redundancy provides reassurance
information. But, Morin argues, if there was no and security and, eventually, both rings close
redundancies, all errors would cause problems, with the organization.
disruptions, and chaos. So, in the end, errors Morin also discusses two contradictory
and redundancies compensate each other and points of view: one that considers the
provide an intelligent solution for existence and organization as an informational phenomenon
evolution of life (Morin 2003, p. 418-419). and the other which considers information as an
organizational notion. He affirms that the latter
Imperialism of information would be more precise because the information
Morin writes ironically that “the queen is generated by the organization but could not
information riding her luxurious cybernetic car exist alone and independently.
explains Nature, Life and Society” (Morin 2003, Another aspect worth mentioning is the idea
p. 429). of complex information: a concept with double
He condemns the way all phenomena focus and multiple inputs. One of the focuses is
were suddenly explained through information. the object, the other, the psyche of the subject.
From kinetics to life, all that existed was just The inputs are the physical, the biological and
information organized. He showed that, in many the anthroposociological.
situations, there is no information involved. This Yet the complex information foresees two
happens with entities that are not alive like kinds of difficulties: the error and the apparatus.
stars, whirlpools, and such. Although possible For the error, at the same time that it disturbs and
to derive information from these appearances, interferes, it allows for change and evolution.
data was not what caused them and is not As for the apparatus, it requires an adequate
necessary for their existence. Information theory but represents the generative source of
becomes essential when life is involved. Because the organization.
life, which requires reproduction, demands the
self-replication of beings as well. And this is an
informational phenomenon. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper we presented Morin’s Complex
Information of information
Thinking contrasted to cybernetics, open
We conclude the information section analyzing systems, and information theory.
two main rings:

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ENIO A. BLAY & JOSÉ ROBERTO C. PIQUEIRA THE EMERGENCE OF EDGAR MORIN’S Complex Thinking

In our opinion, given the evidence, Complex it is unreasonable to consider that the theory
Thinking is very much based on those three that predicts and corrects the transmission of
pillars, although not restricted to them. Much characters should also model the aspects of
on the contrary. semantics and redundancy. So, although his
When using concepts developed by those criticism on incompleteness of information
sciences, Morin praises at the same time that theories could be acknowledged, it would not
he criticizes them. His reproaches would be be fair to put those shortcomings on Shannon’s
justifiable if one disregards the way normal account.
science is being done since the XVII century, Another aspect that might be noticed is
that is, through distinction and separation the absolute lack of any mathematical theory
of objects. On the other hand, some of his by Morin. If compared to other complexity
criticisms seem to ignore the evolution of approaches, he does not try to model or
thought that happens in any knowledge area. simulate, establish formulae and other formal
In that sense, he condemns the theory of those methods (González 2020, p. 32). Although this
forerunners of science, namely Wiener, Shannon absence might be comprehensible due to his
and von Bertalanffy, forgetting that their works mostly sociological standpoint, it renders his
have been the cornerstones of those areas and theory less prone to be employed in the natural
evolution was to follow. and applied sciences. But of course, there are
By the same token, Morin’s Complex Thinking less benevolent critics that either dispraise
is also denounced by contemporary scientists Morin’s oeuvre (Maldonado & Gómez Cruz 2011,
(Thom 1980). As this is beyond our scope, we p. 57-62) or dismiss it as a whole (Reynoso 2009).
just mention some criticisms that relate more But Morin’s Complex Thinking is very
directly to our analysis. For example, although convincing. His approach contrasts with Complex
Morin proposes a new science (Scienza Nuova), Adaptive Systems (Frei & Marzo Serugendo 2012),
he hardly explains how to reach it. In the same Econophysics (Arthur et al. 2020) and Network
reference, he is also blamed for not providing theories (Hausmann et al. 2011) among others.
a self-criticism of his points of view. And lastly, While Morin tries to connect micro and macro
that his complaints to science at large are levels, society and particles, mathematics and
normally too general and abstract (Holmqvist ethics, new areas of complexity try to discover
2022). Other critics indicate that his knowledge simple laws that guide matter, life, and the
of logic is very limited (Maldonado & Gómez universe. These approaches still avoid the
Cruz 2011, p. 60) and his theory suffers from an agency of the subject, the bias of the observer,
epistemic relativism (González 2020). the event, which is unforeseeable and unleashes
Specifically in the information theory, innovation, and they even try to model the
one can point out that Morin misunderstood unexpected as the edge of chaos.
the underlying concepts. His criticism of Somehow Morin’s approach is more realistic
Shannon’s theory having to cope with language although abstract. Judging based on his ideas,
and meaning was beyond the objective of it seems like some branches of complexity
the theory (Shannon & Weaver 1949, p. 3), as sciences, with some exceptions (Le Moigne 1994,
Shannon clearly states. Because of the many Mainzer 2004, Simon 1962) not having learned
layers implicit (from symbols to message and with the attempts of unification of the past,
meaning) in the communication of information,

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ENIO A. BLAY & JOSÉ ROBERTO C. PIQUEIRA THE EMERGENCE OF EDGAR MORIN’S Complex Thinking

still try to find unity using simplistic paradigms FLORIDI L. 2010. Information: A very short introduction.
Very short introductions: Vol. 225, Oxford: Oxford
through disciplinary science.
University Press, Oxford, England, 130 p.
Acknowledgments FOERSTER H. 2003. Understanding understanding: Essays
We would like to thank Oscar Takeshita for his critical on cybernetics and cognition, New York: Springer, New
reading of the first draft of the article. JRCP is supported York, USA, 362 p.
by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico FRANÇOIS C. 1999. Systemics and cybernetics in a historical
e Tecnológico (CNPq, grant number 304707/2023–6) and perspective. Syst Res Behav Sci 16: 203-219.
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
FREI R & MARZO SERUGENDO G. 2012. The future of complexity
(FAPESP) (grant number 2022/00770-0).
engineering. Cent. Eur J Eng 2: 164-188.
GONZÁLEZ EML. 2020. Repensar el pensamiento de Edgar
Morin: Invitación y propuestas. Simbiót Rev Eletr 7: 22-43.
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Appendix. Most cited personalities in Morin’s La Méthode.

Area Surname Name

Philosophy Aristotle
Cybernetics Ashby, Ross.W.
Philosophy Bataille, Georges
General Systems Theory von Bertalanffy, Ludwig

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ENIO A. BLAY & JOSÉ ROBERTO C. PIQUEIRA THE EMERGENCE OF EDGAR MORIN’S Complex Thinking

Physics Boltzmann, Ludwig

Neuroscience Changeux, Jean-Pierre
Biology Danchin, Antoine
Philosophy Descartes, René
Physics Einstein, Albert
Cybernetics von Foerster, Heinz
Psychology Freud, Sigmund
Logics / Mathematics Gödel, Kurt
Biology Gros, François
Philosophy Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich
Philosophy Heraclitus
Biology Jacob François
Philosophy Kant, Immanuel
Philosophy Laplace, Pierre-Simon
Philosophy / Physics Lupasco, Stéphane
Philosophy Marx, Karl
Physics Maxwell, James
Philosophy Pascal, Blaise
Psychology / Education Piaget, Jean
Philosophy Bachelard, Gaston
Information Shannon, Claude
Economy Simon, Herbert A.
Logics / Mathematics Tarski, Alfred
Mathematics Thom, René
Biology Varela, Francisco J.
Cybernetics Wiener, Norbert
Philosophy Wittgenstein, Ludwig
How to cite Universidade de São Paulo, Programa de Pós-Graduação em
BLAY EA & PIQUEIRA JRC. 2024. The Emergence of Edgar Morin’s Engenharia Elética, Escola Politécnica, Avenida Prof. Luciano
Complex Thinking. An Acad Bras Cienc 96: e20231112. DOI 10.1590/0001- Gualberto, Travessa 3, n. 158, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
3765202420231112.

Correspondence to: Enio Alterman Blay

Manuscript received on October 11, 2023;
accepted for publication on November 24, 2023 E-mail: [email protected]

ENIO A. BLAY
Author contributions
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7097-9400 Enio Alterman Blay: conceptualization, methodology,
investigation, writing - original draft preparation. José Roberto
JOSÉ ROBERTO C. PIQUEIRA Castilho Piqueira: supervision, writing - review & editing.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0153-6686

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