The Dao of Complexity: Making Sense and Making Waves in Turbulent Times

Jean Boulton

Published by De Gruyter 2024

The Dao of Complexity

Making Sense and Making Waves in Turbulent Times

Jean Boulton

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110981216

About this book

Finalist in the Leadership - Think Differently category of the Goody Business Book Awards 2024

The pandemic, climate change, rising populism, geo-political unrest – just a few of the issues causing turbulence in today’s world. We are living and working in times that are complex and fast changing.

The Dao of Complexity is a book about challenging and deepening worldviews. It explores the remarkable resonance between complexity and Daoism, engaging with the processual, contextual and emergent nature both of ourselves and of the world of which we are a part. It connects to ideas from such diverse fields as quantum physics, brain science, political theory and economics.

Jean asks what ‘making sense’ of the world means in these turbulent times and how that can galvanise action for those of us trying to make a difference, trying to ‘make waves’ in a world of increasing connectivity, polarisation and fragility.

Taking its lead from Daoist texts, the design encourages readers to open at any page and use the short, stand-alone, yet networked pieces as reflective starting points.

This book will be of interest to scholars and those striving for social change, as well as managers and policy makers looking for inspiration. The general reader interested in science, philosophy and ancient wisdom will find relatable material to explore how to engage effectively in this complex world.

Jean Boulton is a leading thinker in the field of complexity.
Designed to be both deep and accessible and create reflective pieces that help people go further in their explorations.

Author / Editor information

Jean Boulton, PhD, MBA, FInstP, is a visiting academic at the universities of Cranfield and Bath. She is a former research fellow with Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. She has held executive management positions in large corporates and has consulted to global organisations in the private and not-for-profit sectors. She studied physics at the universities of Oxford and then Cambridge before eventually turning to the social sciences. Jean has an international reputation for scholarship in the development of complexity theory and consults, writes, researches and lectures about its application to strategy, change, sustainability and leadership. She is keenly interested in global change and global governance and also engages in local politics and place-based initiatives. She teaches worldwide in a wide range of institutions offering postgraduate study. She is the lead author of Embracing Complexity (Oxford University Press) and author of several book chapters on complexity and strategy.

Reviews

"In the West we are shifting from seeing the world as ordered, inherently perfect, mechanical, and in equilibrium, to seeing it as alive, messy, organic, and ever in process. Jean Boulton captures this shift in thinking beautifully, with insight and precision." --W. Brian Arthur, author of Complexity and the Economy

"This is my book of the year. Some books fill your head, some your heart, some educate, some set you alight; Jean’s book does all of these. Her sparkling irrepressible scholarship takes us on a journey from the profound to the practical and incites us to cultivate ourselves and face the future. Essential fare for any progressive business school, and I’d also recommend it as a refreshing holiday brain reboot." --Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and Director, Henley Business School, Africa

"Wonderfully wide-ranging and thoughtful, Jean Boulton doesn't explain complexity, she inhabits it. Through musings, stories, and a breath-taking range of ideas, Boulton is an inspiring companion who teases out the connections to Daoist cosmology with deceptive ease. An essential read for anyone wanting to make a difference." --Margaret Gearty, Associate Professor, Hult International Business School (Ashridge)

"Drawing together her deep understanding of the complexity sciences, and a voracious appetite for ideas from other disciplines, Jean Boulton writes with wit and wisdom to argue that the contemporary dilemmas we face on our planet today demand new, processual ways of thinking. Wide-ranging and compelling, this is an absorbing and fascinating read." --Chris Mowles, Professor of Complexity and Management, Hertfordshire Business School

"A tour de force, fascinating and enticing in equal measure. Jean has gathered a lifetime of thought and reflection and draws on sources that are eclectic yet pertinent and lead to practical insights that anybody can appreciate. Knowing Jean, I see her behind every word and her authenticity is emboldening. A must for academics, practitioners and leaders looking for fresh perspectives and humane answers to the critical challenges of today’s world." --Jonathan Davies, Head of International School, Mumbai, India

"Dialogues between so-called natural scientists, social scientists and practitioners matter more than ever. But they often start badly. Sharing our struggles with complexity can help, and those willing to reflect on their most basic assumptions will gain much from Jean Boulton’s account of how great thinking about complexity converges." --James Copestake, Professor of International Development, University of Bath

"The very accessible tone in which Jean writes feels like a personal conversation, making challenging topics like process complexity, Daoism, and quantum physics remarkably easy to connect with. Jean invites us into a great conversation, providing profound insights and practical strategies, of benefit to anyone seeking to understand and address the complexities of our ever-changing world." --Rika Preiser, UNESCO Chair in Complexity and Transformative African Futures, Stellenbosch University

"Success in the social world lies not in meticulous planning and control, but in the quality of our engagement with the present moment, as life emerges one step at a time. Jean Boulton shows how the roots of process complexity lie in ancient philosophy as well as in modern science and explores its application to all facets of life, from developing ourselves as individuals to leading organisations and large-scale social change." --Andrey Pavlov, Professor of Strategy and Performance, Cranfield University

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Advance Praise for The Dao of Complexity Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Dedication Publicly Available Download PDF	xiii
Introduction Publicly Available Download PDF	xv
Section I The Long Walk to Freedom: the Developing Story of the Scientific Worldview Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Section II Process Complexity Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	37
Section III Daoist Cosmology: a Better Way? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	93
Section IV Other Resonant Perspectives Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	121
Section V On Experiential Knowing in a Complex World Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	151
Section VI Becoming Ourselves Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	183
Section VII Perspectives on Organisational Practice Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	213
Section VIII On the Global Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	277
Appendix Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	327
Endnotes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	345
Glossary Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	377
List of Illustrations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	383
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	385
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	395
About the Author Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	399

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter
Audience: Scholars/students of management, globalisation, social policy and ethics; leaders, policy makers, change agents
Pages
- Front matter: 30
- Main content: 400
Illustrations
- Illustrations: 26
- Coloured Illustrations: 3
Keywords: Systemic Change; Process Philosophy; Uncertainty; Paradox; Ethics; Worldview; Reflective Practice; Modern Science; Emergence; Science; History of Science; Globalisation; Climate Change

eBook

Published: September 23, 2024
ISBN: 9783110981216

Paperback

Published: September 23, 2024
ISBN: 9783110992649

The Dao of Complexity

Making Sense and Making Waves in Turbulent Times

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