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Theory, Culture & Society, Vol. 22, No. 5, 255-267 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0263276405058052
© 2005 Theory, Culture & Society Ltd.

Complexity, Deconstruction and Relativism

Paul Cilliers

University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

The acknowledgement that something is complex, it is argued, implies that our knowledge of it will always be limited. We cannot make complete, absolute or final claims about complex systems. Post-structuralism, and specifically deconstruction, make similar claims about knowledge in general. Arguments against deconstruction can, therefore, also be held against a critical form of complexity thinking and a defence of the view from complexity (as presented here) should take account of them. Three of these arguments are investigated: that deconstruction and complexity-thinking lead to relativism, that they are subject to the performative contradiction and that their claims are vague. It is shown that these critiques are not really effective and it is suggested that a responsible approach to complexity has to be provisional, i.e. modest, without being vague or relativistic.

Key Words: complexity • deconstruction • Derrida • limits of knowledge • performative contradiction • relativism


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