Complexity and situation

Abstract

In this debate section, the authors explore a series of reflections on how to rethink subjectivity in a new historical phase they call “complexity.” This phase is marked by an emerging form of world self-production, where material processes can no longer be understood through the modern lens that positioned human beings as the central subjects of history. The current era is shaped by an unthinkable core — dynamics that cannot be resolved through voluntarism or mere declarations of good intentions.

Faced with this scenario, the authors question the place of the human species within a broader network, where it is no longer the exclusive protagonist but one element among many in a complex ecosystem. In this context, they propose thinking in terms of “situations” — living, dynamic, and organic units that are not static classifications but rather forms of interaction and relationality among heterogeneous elements. A situation implies accepting conflict, indeterminacy, and opacity as inherent conditions of the present, rather than trying to eliminate them.

From this perspective, action is no longer limited to the human subject but must also be thought in terms of ecosystems — their processes, limits, and possibilities