Edgar Morin

Love is part of a life poem.

Summary

Edgar Morin (1921 - ) is a French writer and philosopher. He is known for the transdisciplinarity of his works, in that he covers a wide range of interests and dismisses the conventional boundaries between academic disciplines.

His research in philosophy, history and sociology is focused on creating respect for both individuals and the complex wholes in which individuals live their lives.

His ideas influenced the concept of the Unity of Humanity/Nature (see Vital Unconscious and Biocentric Principle").

Ideas

• Complex Systems - Morin studied Information Theory, Cybernetics, and Systems Theory and opened a new field of research into the complexity of systems.
• He proposed three fundamental principles:
  • Recursive Organization - causes react against effects and effects against causes (by their interactions, individuals produce society and society produces humankind by bringing qualities such as language and culture retroactively to individuals),
  • Dialogic Principle - which consists of associating notions, ideas, and truths that are both complementary and contradictory in order to grasp a true reality;
  • Hologrammatic Principle - it is not just the part that is in the whole but the whole that is in the part (if the individual is a member of society, the society as the whole is equally present in all individuals via their language and culture as parts).