The longing to simplify our lives is extremely tempting. But what if instead we learn to deal with the fact that there are no simple solutions to complex problems? In his brilliant new book, the renowned science journalist and philosopher Gert Scobel argues for a more relaxed attitude towards the complexity of the world.
Despite big data and AI, our understanding of reality seems increasingly to be reaching its limits – in our everyday lives as well as in politics. And SARS-CoV-2 has irrevocably turned not-knowing and complexity into an experience as unsettling as it is tangible. Millions of people feel that everything is connected to everything else. So did the Enlightenment promise us too much? Has the project failed?
Yes and no, Gert Scobel argues in Complexify Your Life. There’s no way to avoid reducing the complexity all around us so that we can gain our bearings. Yet we also have to relearn to live with our not-knowing, especially at a time when more and more people are looking for simple and definitive answers.
