Scientific Method, Complexity and Phenomenology in Human Knowledge
Systems Research and Behavioral Science January 4, 2026 Felix Lebed
The classical scientific method, with its deterministic approach, falls short of capturing human complexity. While 20th-century philosophers critiqued this method, their arguments remained philosophical. A critique grounded in empirical science is needed, and the complexity paradigm, emphasizing autopoiesis—manifested through will, moral choices, and intrinsic motivation—offers the most appropriate perspective. Integrating complexity-based experimental studies with phenomenology provides an adequate framework for understanding human beings. Drawing on Varela's neurophenomenology concept of 'third person', the author develops a new epistemological model: 'a third person, studying a double first person'.