Published: June 2021, Issue 39


Keywords:
Complexity, Activism, Creativity, Living Systems.

Petros Polychronis

is a Child-Psychiatrist, Group and Family Psychotherapist,Trainer and Supervisor.

Dr. Polychronis is presently the Director of the Athenian Institute of Anthropos in Greece, among the first centers to practice family therapy in Europe. He is involved as a consultant to the development of support programs for multi-problem families in a variety of contexts dealing with Child and Family welfare. He is a Founding Member of the European Family Therapy Association (E.F.T.A.), of the Hellenic Association for Systems Thinking and Family Psychotherapy, and of the Greek Society for De-Institutionalization and Mental Health. He has served on the Executive Council of the World Association for Social Psychiatry and of the Hellenic Child-Psychiatric Association and is an Honorary Member of the Executive Council of the Therapeutic Center for Addicted Individuals and their Families (KE.TH.E.A.).

Dr. Polychronis is a Visiting Professor at Postgraduate programs at the Universities of Athens, Crete and Ioannina. He is also the Trainer for the Personal and Professional Development program of the EAP certified “Systemic Institute of Cyprus.”

Abstract

Stephen Hawking, "I think the next century will be the century of Complexity"

Geoffrey West, “You Are Your Networks”

According to Fritjof Capra, complex adaptive living systems are, among other things, self-transcendent - that is, they have the ability to self-transcend. When a complex / dissipative system is found far from equilibrium, the opportunity for creativity (innovation / adaptation) and new meaning - among the many possibilities / alternatives - emerges in the ever-changing environment.

This new meaning gives birth to / demands / gives the opportunity to an activism, which concerns the relation of the complex system with itself and its environment.