Rethinking democracy from the perspective of complexity: the role of the humanities in contexts of contemporary crisis

Abstract

This article analyzes the limitations of the classical scientific method in understanding democracy within the context of contemporary crises which are characterized by uncertainty, interdependence, and sociotechnical transformation. Drawing on a theoretical review grounded in complex thought, the article argues that reductionist approaches are insufficient for addressing the multidimensional nature of social phenomena. In this context, structural issues are identified such as the fragmentation of knowledge, the separation of subject and object, and the primacy of determinism, while enabling significant advances, limit the understanding of complex realities. Consequently, complex thought, as developed by Edgar Morin, emerges as an epistemological alternative that integrates diverse dimensions, acknowledges uncertainty, and reintroduces the subject into the knowledge process. Finally, from this perspective, the article proposes understanding democracy as a multidimensional phenomenon where political, economic, social, cultural, and subjective dimensions converge. This highlights the fundamental role of the humanities as critical mediators, enabling relational, reflective, and transdisciplinary approaches to address the challenges of the 21st century.