“The Theory of Complex Phenomena: A Precocious Play on the Epistemology of Complexity” by Friedrich A. von Hayek delves into the unique features of cognition processes peculiar to all human beings and their connection with society. The author assumes that questions regarding the nature of particular objects arise when our senses recognize some stimulus and start to transmit signals to the brain. However, several other factors are impacting our ability to perceive some patterns and associate them with previous experiences. One of the main aspects affecting this ability is complexity. The author states that it is a central question that gives rise to multiple philosophical difficulties if our mind, society, and life are more complex than it seems. For this reason, this question remains topical today.
Another topic discussed in the article is the cogitation about how we predict some qualities of objects if there is no complete information about them. The work can be analyzed from the perspective of the philosophy of social research. The fact is that the author is concerned with the search of specific relations between natural sciences and society, the social law in accordance to which it functions, and the nature of particular processes. For instance, speaking about the way we perceive objects with the help of our senses, he also admits the fact that to a greater degree the complexity of these very objects depends on how society recognizes them.
At the same time, regarding the fact that the central research question introduced by the author is how our cognition works in terms of complexity and generalization to predict some qualities, the inductive method of research is used. It presupposes broad generalizations that come from specific observations. In other words, cogitating about social structures, determinism, and relativism, the author makes assumptions that rest on his notes about the organization of the society and the way we speak about particular objects or phenomena. It means that the inductive way to investigate the issue becomes the primary tool of the researcher who delves into the philosophical aspects of complexity and cognition.
The article also utilizes the ontological research paradigm that is focused on the nature of reality and tries to outline its structure and form. Asking questions about peculiarities of our perception, complexity, and prediction, the author wants to understand to what extent the world and society are interconnected and how they impact each other. This paradigm is supported by the hypothetic research method that helps the investigator to make assumptions and reflect on how reality is perceived by individuals and how existing laws and regulations impact this very perception. Adhering to this approach, the author manages to conduct an in-depth study of the proposed topic and provide critical information about the nature of various phenomena.
Altogether, the article is based on interpretivism as the author suggests his ideas regarding social laws and the way they precondition our interaction with other objects. The work delves into the issue of complexity and how it impacts specific patterns that are found in our cognition. Utilizing the approaches mentioned above, the author manages to create the theoretical ground for his assumptions and avoid logical fallacies. At the same time, this exact approach becomes a potent tool to examine the way society interacts with our senses and how the lack of information regarding some objects might precondition the emergence of specific images of different complexity.