The purpose of the science of complexity is to provide, if not a unified approach, at least common tools to tackling complex problems in various scientific domains. Generally, complexity is considered a fundamental challenge to the reductionist approach in science as a whole and to its ideas of certainty and randomness.
The system is different from the sum of the parts. The behaviours of the non-linear complex systems depend on the "interaction (often with retroactive effects) among parts and not so much (or not only) from the characteristics of the parts themselves"; the sum of the behaviour of single parts does not give explanation of the whole behaviour.
All this is true for economic systems. These are based on economic agents. Each individual can reach only a partial knowledge that is focussed around its "world" (local information) and react to external shocks in different ways (local rationality). Of course, not all economic phenomena are necessarily complex, the description of the economy can be also done satisfactorily through universal laws or theories deductively derived from sovereign, immutable first principles and using an analytical solvable model. In all other cases we have to use a complex approach. Perfect information, representative agents, hypothesis of linearity and equilibrium have to be considered as particular cases of a more complex reality characterised by limited information, heterogeneous agents, and multiple equilibrium.

The aim of Ecople is not so much the dissemination of the complex approach but the examination of this approach as an evolution of economic thought starting from tradition. The idea is to make an intimate and critical reflection about that.

The workshop will be characterised by comparison of two aspects: traditional and complex showing the different solutions and effects that the two approaches could obtain. The key objectives of the workshop will be to foster inter-disciplinary and multidisciplinary dialogue for comparing the two approaches.
Scientists and researchers from all disciplines with applications in economics are welcome to share their ideas, methods and experiences across a number of fields.

This event will be restricted to around 30 participants to encourage as much critical discussion as possible.