“复杂性科学”还是“复杂性研究”?

“Complexity Science” or “the Science of Complexity”?

通过回顾"复杂性科学"名称的由来、分析"复杂性"的内涵,可以看出,科学家们使用"复杂性"一词想要表达的是对其研究对象某种性质的判断,并基于这样的判断,对经典科学还原论方法论原则提出否定,进而寻找一种对研究对象进行整体简化的方法和路径。"复杂性科学"这个名称只是科学家们便于表达和交流而使用的方便称呼。相对于"经典科学",与"复杂性研究"相适应的新的科学范式才刚刚拉开序幕,而这种新的科学范式还需要新的概念语词和适当的数学才能够得以奠基。与其说使用"复杂性科学"统称这一类针对复杂性的研究,不如使用"复杂性研究"这个称呼更加可取。

By reviewing the origin of the name“complexity science”and analyzing the connotation of“complexity”,it can be seen that,what scientists want to express with“complexity"is a judgment on a certain nature of their research objects.Based on such judgment,they put forward a negation to the methodological principles of reductionism in classical science,and then look for a method and path to simplify the research object as a whole.The name“complexity science”is simply a convenient way for scientists to communicate.Compared with“classical science",the new scientific paradigm of“the science of complexity”has just begun,and this new scientifie paradigm needs new conceptual terms and appropriate mathematics to lay a foundation.Rather than using the term“complexity science"as a general term for these studies on complexity,it is preferable to use the term“the science of complexity".