PHILOSOPHY OF COMPLEMENTARY HUMANISM - by Ajith Rohan J.T.F., Rome

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Purpose of writing

I first confronted the concept of “complementarity” in my Doctoral Thesis in Theoretical Philosophy (2003–2008 Rome, Italy), exploring complementarity between Rhetoric and Hermeneutics, and ultimately between Mathematics and Language. After completing my PhD, I have circled the sun 17 times, during which my philosophical trajectory, including the concept of complementarity, has matured through diverse paths. This reflection is one of my first efforts to systematize the concept on solid and dynamic ground, fostering an open-minded dialogue. In this way, I keep my philosophy humble, without claiming perfection or absolute truth. Thus, I consciously aim to avoid its failure. But I have to affirm clearly that I have no intention to change anything or anybody through my creativity. Above all this is the best possible world we have created for ourselves. I simply enjoy my writings and all other forms of communication. That is all.

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Dynamic, opposite but completing complementarity

The concept of complementarity is one of the most elegant and disruptive ideas, not only in philosophy and science but also in all problems related to monopolized dominions like the theory of knowledge (Epistemology), world social, political, economic, cultural, and civil dominions; precisely because it refuses to let us settle for binary thinking and Aristotelian mechanical logic. It demands that we hold contradictory truths in tension, not as flaws to resolve, but as necessary surfaces of a deeper reality. At its core, complementarity refers to a relationship in which different elements interact in a way that enhances or completes one another, creating a functional or conceptual whole greater than the sum of its parts. This principle suggests that opposites or distinct entities can coexist in a mutually beneficial relationship rather than in conflict.

Complementary colour theory

I prefer in this case to report the colour theory to understand the concept “complementarity” through this vitally important dynamic system. In this way, we can approach relative circumstances better and move forward with practical logic by promoting constructively collaborative, harmonious, and ecological human societies. The complementary colours, first of all, are pairs of opposite colours on the colour wheel. Due to their oppositeness, they create a vibrant, high-contrast relationship when applied next to each other on a drawing panel. Complementary colours create elegant colour contrasts in a painting due to the fact that, no matter what combination one uses, they will always be different from one another.

Recognition of the difference and complementarity

First of all, we have to admit the existence of uncountable colour levels in our dynamic reality. On the other hand, understanding the significance of complementary colours is very important for an artist or anybody who works with colours because mixing opposite colours helps one achieve beautiful and dynamic colours or new perceptions. Therefore, this practical, intelligent capacity for identifying different colours and complementarity among them is very important because this process recognizes subtle nuances and then allows one to understand how to proceed to neutralize the contradictions between colours in consideration in order to create a new, elegant, relevant, and important colour for the objective purpose.

Complementarity in cultural-civil artificial realities

The practical philosophical and dynamic artistic capacity are fundamental to realizing deliberate objectives. All these activities are cultural and civil, which is to say, they are artificial in the foundational sense: constructed and man-made worlds that require continuous maintenance to resist entropy. Unlike natural phenomena, cultural-civil realities such as language systems, legal codes, economic models, aesthetic traditions, exist only through sustained human intention. Without this active preservation, they inevitably decay into noise, just as a painting left unattended fades or a neglected language becomes extinct.

Thus, the human “artificiality” is not a weakness but the greatest dynamic expression of “power and responsibility” of man. The principle of complementarity must therefore operate as both diagnosis and intervention: Diagnosis: Recognizing that all cultural-civil forms are dynamic oppositions in precarious balance, like complementary colours that vibrate because they are mutually constitutive yet irreducibly distinct; Intervention: Deliberately designing systems where opposites (good/bad, war/peace, tradition/innovation, local/global) are not resolved but orchestrated, much as an artist mixes opposing hues to generate new depth.

CONCLUSION

The totality of cultural-civil realities are artificial ecosystems. Complementarity is their sustaining logic not a passive equilibrium but an active labour of holding oppositions in creative tension. Like maintaining a garden or restoring a fresco, it demands vigilance: we must weed monopolies, repair fractures, and replant diversity where systems lean toward monoculture. This is the non-negotiable work of Complementary Humanism in both material and digital worlds. To neglect it is to accept civilizational decay.

However, without conscious design, these realms risk reinforcing homogenization or ideological monopolies. To prevent this, we must apply the principle of complementarity: ensuring that SPEC (= Socio-Politic-Economic-Cultural) systems facilitate dynamic balance rather than dominance, countering violence’s chaos with collaborative wisdom. This means:

 Recognition of Difference – Acknowledging that no single culture holds absolute truth, just as no single colour defines a painting. 

  Constructive Interaction – Designing systems where contrasting perspectives refine rather than negate each other. 

  Strategic Maintenance – Continuously adjusting power structures to prevent decay into polarization or hegemony.