Scientific Method, Complexity and Phenomenology in Human Knowledge
Felix Lebed
Systems Research and Behavioral Science January 4, 2026 DOI: 10.1002/sres.70008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Phenomenology philosophy Human science Perspective graphical Premise Philosophy of science Epistemology Cognitive science Scientific theory Empirical research Scientific progress |
| Key points | Argues that the complexity paradigm, combined with phenomenology, offers a better framework for understanding human beings than the classical scientific method, and proposes a new epistemological model based on Varela's neurophenomenology. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT The classical scientific method, particularly its deterministic approach, encounters limitations when attempting to fully capture the complexities of human beings. Although many 20th‐century philosophers criticized this method, their arguments were primarily philosophical. I see a need for a critique of the scientific method grounded in empirical science itself. The complexity paradigm offers the most appropriate perspective for this purpose. This paradigm emphasizes the inherent proactivity (‘autopoiesis’ or ‘creation from within’) that manifests through will, moral choices and intrinsic motivation—aspects that are difficult to comprehend using the tools of the scientific method. I argue that integrating complexity‐based experimental studies with phenomenology provides an adequate framework for understanding human beings. To support and exemplify this argument, I draw upon Varela's neurophenomenology concept of ‘third person’ and develop it into a new epistemological model named ‘a third person, studying a double first person’.
Comparable studies
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| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
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| Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- A complexity basis for phenomenology: How information states at criticality offer a new approach to understanding experience of self, being and time Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology August 7, 2015
- How to build a better 4E cognition. Cognitive Neuroscience 2024
- Complexity and extended phenomenological-cognitive systems. Topics in Cognitive Science 2012
- Anatomy of life and well-being: A framework for the contributions of phenomenology and complexity theory. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being July 2, 2010
- Making Sense of Sense-Making: Reflections on Enactive and Extended Mind Theories March 1, 2009
and 1 more in the library