Complexité et changement climatique : une étude épistémologique des théories de la complexité transdisciplinaires et leur apport aux phénomènes socio-écologiques, Complexity and Climate Change? : an epistemological study of transdisciplinary complexity theories and their contribution to socio-ecological phenomena

Université Paris – Sorbonne (Paris IV)
École Doctorale 5 : Concepts et langages
Université de Californie à Berkeley
Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
Doctorat en cotuelle :
Disciplines : Philosophie, sciences de l’environnement
Jennifer Lynn Wells
Complexité et Changement Climatique :
Une étude épistémologique des théories de la complexité
Transdisciplinaires et leur apport aux phénomènes socio-écologiques
Thèse soutenue en vue de l’obtention du grade de docteur le 23 juin 2009
Jury :
M. Daniel Andler Professeur à l’Université Paris-Sorbonne,
co-directeur de thèse
Mme Amy Dahan-Dalmedico Directrice de recherche au CNRS et
au Centre A. Koyré
M. Jean-Pierre Dupuy Professeur à l’Université de Stanford,
Directeur de recherche honoré au CNRS
Mme Catherine Larrère Professeur à l’Université Panthéon-Sorbonne
M. Pierre Livet Professeur à l’Université de Provence
Mme Carolyn Merchant Professeur à l’Université de Californie à
Berkeley, co-directrice de thèse

Université Paris – Sorbonne (Paris IV)
École Doctorale 5 : Concepts et langages
Université de Californie à Berkeley
Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
Doctorat en cotuelle :
Disciplines : Philosophie, sciences de l’environnement
Jennifer Lynn Wells
Complexité et Changement Climatique :
Une étude épistémologique des théories de la complexité
Transdisciplinaires et leur apport aux phénomènes socio-écologiques
Thèse soutenue en vue de l’obtention du grade de docteur le 23 juin 2009
Jury :
M. Daniel Andler Professeur à l’Université Paris-Sorbonne,
co-directeur de thèse
Mme Amy Dahan-Dalmedico Directrice de recherche au CNRS et
au Centre A. Koyré
M. Jean-Pierre Dupuy Professeur à l’Université de Stanford,
Directeur de recherche honoré au CNRS
Mme Catherine Larrère Professeur à l’Université Panthéon-Sorbonne
M. Pierre Livet Professeur à l’Université de Provence
Mme Carolyn Merchant Professeur à l’Université de Californie à
Berkeley, co-directrice de thèse

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This dissertation is dedicated to William S. Wells, Doris J. Wells,
Christopher G. Wells, Karen Wells, Rebecca S. Wells,
Ronald Powers, Catherine E. Bostock, David Bostock,
Andrew Bostock, William Bostock, and Samuel Powers
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Comité Doctorale de l’Université de Californie à Berkeley
Carolyn Merchant – Professeur de philosophie, éthique et histoire
environnementale, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and
Management (ESPM), à l’Université de Californie à Berkeley (U.C. Berkeley)
David Winickoff – Professeur de Bioéthique, ESPM, U.C. Berkeley
Richard B. Norgaard – Professeur d’Environnement, Energy and Resource Group,
U.C. Berkeley
Daniel Andler – Professeur de Philosophie, à l’Université Paris-Sorbonne,
Catherine Larrère – Professeur de Philosophie, à l’Université Panthéon-Sorbonne
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Acknowledgments
This dissertation spans continents, universities, languages, cultures, disciplines,
the science and ethics of climate change, and of course, complexity theories. This has
created quite a network of support and inspiration! I am forever indebted to Carolyn
Merchant. Carolyn’s outstanding scholarly qualities and intellectual mentorship have
prepared me for a life’s work. I will cherish the many memories of our time together.
Moreover I have been very fortunate to work with David Winickoff, who’s agile,
rigorous, and critical thinking has greatly influenced me. I am grateful to the
transdisciplinary maverick Richard B. Norgaard for his wonderful support over the years,
helping me to feel fully at home in the Bay Area, and even making gourmet lasagnas for
the cross-campus complexity discussion group we held in his living room.
Aside from his invaluable support since 2001, Daniel Andler has given me one of
the most valuable lessons of my doctoral years, to argue with someone of a slightly
different philosophical perspective, who is able to remain as open-minded as he is erudite
and rigorous in his thinking. Daniel put me in touch with Catherine Larrere, which has
been a most fortunate encounter. Catherine has been a great intellectual inspiration for me
personally and a pioneer of environmental ethics in France. I offer her my heartfelt
thanks for her mentorship and friendship since 2001.
As for my doctoral defense jury in France, I would like to offer my warmest
thanks to Amy Dahan-Dalmedico, Jean-Pierre Dupuy, and Pierre Livet. Thanks to Amy
Dahan-Dalmedico for her intellectual leadership in science studies and climate change,
her critiques of my work, and for welcoming me into her doctoral dissertation working
group, where I learned so much about critiquing and conducting research at the doctoral
level. Likewise I thank Jean-Pierre Dupuy for his work in areas so close to my heart, and
for his generosity in providing me with many texts and commentaries early on in my
graduate studies, giving me the hope that I could actually attempt such a topic. I offer a
special thanks to Pierre Livet, a pioneer of complexity thinking in social systems, for
joining my jury sight unseen.
In institutional support I have been unusually fortunate. Numerous departments at
University of California at Berkeley have welcomed me, notably the philosophy
department where I enjoyed work and conversation with Samuel Scheffler (qualifying
exam member), Alan Code, Hubert Dreyfus, and others. In France, I have been a visiting
scholar for one full year with the environmental group PROSES at the University
Sciences Politiques, I am very grateful to have been welcomed over the years into the
wonderful community at Ecole Normale Supérieur, and for the steady support of the
Sorbonne, Paris IV. Thanks to the Yale Fox Fellowship, the Hixon Center, and many
others for generous funding.
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I’d like to thank everyone at my home department of Environmental Science,
Policy, and Management in Berkeley, including Richard Battrick, Rosalyn Farmer, Doty
Valrey, and all the wonderful faculty and graduate students at Society and Environment.
A wonderful unintended consequence of this dissertation is that I have become
personally acquainted with an extraordinary group of scholars. I would like to especially
thank Edgar Morin, Timothy F.H. Allen, and Henri Atlan for their friendship,
conversations, and comments; likewise climate scholars Paul Baer and Stephen
Schneider, environmental ethicist Andrew Light, SFI faculty and community Geoffrey
West, Doyne Farmer, Neo Martinez, Debora Hammond, Timothy Foxon, and Yaneer
Bar-Yam of NECSI. Finally, I hope to meet Kurt Richardson, whose prolific work at the
journal E:CO has greatly benefitted this dissertation.
I thank complexity luminary Alfonso Montouri for hiring me as Assistant
Professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies starting in August 2009. I thank
my extraordinary new colleague Bradford Keeney. I am grateful to my family, friends,
and communities! I have dedicated this dissertation to my family. In the Bay Area I have
been blessed with friendships with Alastair Iles, Kamal Kampadia, Paul Baer, and many
others, too numerous to mention but no less appreciated.
I am eternally grateful to Juan Roy, who helped to inspire me to begin this
dissertation, and to complete it through thick and thin. Finally, I thank Peggy Touvet,
Francesco Colonna, Chloe Manfredi, Emeline LeGoff, Fanny Verrax, and especially Kent
James, whose support has helped me to complete it!
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgments 5
Table of Contents 7
Table of Lists 9
Introduction 11

Part I Complexity Theories: 23
A transdisciplinary Survey
Chapter 1 Elucidating Complexity Theories 25
Chapter 2 Complexity and the Natural Sciences 91
Chapter 3 Complexity and the Social Sciences 131
Chapter 4 Complexity and Social Theory 179
Chapter 5 Complexity, Transdisciplinary Theory, and the 211
Philosophy of Science

Part II Complexity and Climate Change 271
Chapter 6 Complexity in Climate Change and International 273
Assessments
Chapter 7 Complexity, Ethical Theory and Climate Change: 347
Implications for Climate Ethics and Policy
Conclusion 415
Bibliography 425




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List of Tables
Table 1.1 Generalized Complexity Framework (GCF), p.35
Table 1.2 The Hierarchy of Constitution and Disciplines, p.69
Table 1.3 A Hierarchy of Systems Classified by Complexity of Feedback Modes, p.72
Table 2.1 Definitions of Complex Adaptive Systems in the Natural Sciences, p.98
Table 2.2 Definitions of Complex Adaptive Systems, p.99
Table 2.3 Examples of phenomena that only exist in natural science systems, p.99
Table 2.4 Key Complexity Terms and Founders in those