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Navigating Complexity in Big History—Exploring Periodization Across Cosmic and Biosocial Dimensions: An Introduction
Not so many would argue with identifying complexity as a central concept in Big History and universal evolutionism. It is partly because, perhaps, today, many of us are convinced that not only our world but Universe itself is in a state of major change, and the awareness that we are living in a period of transition to something new and unknown is constantly growing. Besides, according to many traditional scientific perspectives, our existence defies the odds. For instance, the second law of thermodynamics1 in traditional physics seems to limit the spontaneous order of matter, making the existence of complex life improbable. Biologists warn that ecosystems may tend to often overuse resources, potentially leading to collapse and the extinction of advanced life forms. Planetary scientists note that the stability of planets is precarious, with factors such as solar wind stripping atmospheres, cooling inner cores weakening both magnetic fields and plate tectonic movement, and rotational instability creating an inhospitable environment for advanced complex systems. Despite these challenges, the development of both complex life and complex technological civilization has, at least so far, succeeded on Earth.
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