Evolving towards complexity: from simplifying thought to transcomplexity

Abstract

In the search to understand the reality that surrounds us, the human being has gone through different approaches to thinking that reflect their need to interpret and explain the world. From simplifying thinking, characterized by its one-dimensional and reductionist vision, to complex and transcomplex thinking, which seek to address complexity and uncertainty in a comprehensive way, this evolution in thinking paradigms has marked a significant change in the way we conceive of reality. This research was carried out under a systematic review as an approach that provides a rigorous and systematic framework for conducting a literature review. According to this, it comprised four phases: searching, evaluating, analyzing, and synthesizing. On the other hand, the document search was carried out in the following databases: Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, and Google Scholar. Finally, it is noted that simplifying thinking, complex thinking, and transcomplex thinking are three different ways of approaching reality. Transcomplex thinking is the most recent and the one that offers a more complete and profound vision of reality. However, these three forms of thinking are not necessarily opposites but rather complement each other.