Transcending sterile meta-patterns of explanation

Transcending an Asystemic View of Life (Part #9)

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Vision vs. Polysensorial? The opus relies on the vision metaphor, implying that any unifying vision is something to be seen from a particular perspective -- whether or not multiple "eyes" are required for stereoscopic vision, as argued by Magoroh Maruyama (Polyocular Vision or Subunderstanding? Organization Studies, 2004). To what extent is the opus an exercise in "subunderstanding"? Given the range of other senses -- singly or in combination, -- by which "unifying" could be comprehended, there is a case for incorporating the choice of metaphor into the process of framing unifying (Metaphor and the Language of Futures, 1992; Cyclopean Vision vs Poly-sensual Engagement, 2006; Strategic Challenge of Polysensorial Knowledge: bringing the "elephant" into "focus", 2008).

Experiential coherence: Clearly many people feel obliged seek alternatives to "unifying vision" through other modalities. These merit recognition in a living reality. What is the role of psychedelic experience in that respect -- especially in contrast to that of religion? How might these alternatives be reconciled in embodiment -- the embodiment of unifying processes -- following the arguments of George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (Philosophy In The Flesh: the embodied mind and its challenge to western thought, 1999)? Is some such approach the key to strategic traction, as separately explored (Embodiment of Change: comprehension, traction and impact? 2011).

Hypothetical ideal solution? One way to frame the challenge is to imagine an ideal resolution of the world problematic -- with an ideal set of strategies -- as might be recognized in an ideal future. The issue with this "thought experiment" is how the many constituencies at the present time would respond to such a hypothetical ideal. Would it even be widely comprehensible? If not, why not? What criticism would it arouse from particular perspectives? How would alternatives to such an ultimate solution be framed -- then to be recognized as sub-optimal? Why might current formulations be preferred? How might this potential diversity be integrated into a subtler unifying view?

Mathematical reframing of unifying frameworks: Given the sophistication offered by some of the subtler branches of mathematics and their visualization possibilities, are there new ways in which the dilemmas of the present could be framed and represented? What renders a meta-pattern of explanation credible and/or questionable? How many ways can "unifying" be fruitfully articulated, and what is their relationship?

Strategic history of plans to "save the world": Another approach would be to review the history of "save the world" plans, their proponents and their outcomes. How did learnings from one such plan get transferred to another, if at all? (Collective Learning from Calls for Global Action, 1981)

It is of course the case that past reports, upheld as offering a unifying vision, would tend to organize their arguments under various patterns of headings. It could be asked whether these patterns were together susceptible to some form of systemic analysis in their own right -- to elicit an insightful meta-pattern -- in the spirit of Gregory Bateson:

The pattern which connects is a meta-pattern. It is a pattern of patterns. It is that meta-pattern which defines the vast generalization that, indeed, it is patterns which connect. (Mind and Nature: a necessary unity, 1979)

And it is from this perspective that Bateson warns: Break the pattern which connects the items of learning and you necessarily destroy all quality (1979, pp. 8-11).

Elaboration of experiential knowledge base: Another approach would be to envisage a gathering of individuals who had struggled over decades to articulate a comprehensive strategy and unifying visions -- and had, in the process, acquired insights into the nature and justification for resistance to its adoption, or to each others arguments. An alternative would be to use the well-developed procedures for oral history recording. What do people tend to learn through engagement in the process -- as suggested by the adaptation of Le Chatelier's Principle by Stafford Beer from a cybernetic perspective (as quoted above).

How is subscribing to a unifying perspective to be envisaged in the light of such experience? How to distinguish and order the knowledge base from which it derives in each case? What are the dangers that such learning will be repeated by new enthusiasts -- without being able to move beyond the insights supposedly already acquired?

Developing psychosocial "metabolic pathway" mappings: As mentioned above, metabolic pathways are fundamental to systemic life processes as they are understood in biological terms. Various efforts have been made to provide comprehensive metabolic pathway maps (see list of Free Pathway Maps; (Kellogg Metabolic Pathways; SigmaAldrich Metabolic Pathways; Elsevier Pathway Studio). Wikipedia offers WikiPathways as an open, public platform dedicated to the curation of biological pathways by and for the scientific community. Curiously, unlike the less complex challenge of representation of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, efforts have not been made to elaborate more complex representations than simple 2D charts.

Despite arguments for recognition of social autopoiesis, and the explosion of international initiatives of every form, no attempts are made to develop analogous maps -- other than the visualization initiatives described above with respect to the Yearbook of International Organizations and the Encyclopedia of world Problems and Human Potential.

The above schematics could be considered indicative of psychosocial metabolic pathways. The question is how to configure such maps into a comprehensive map -- suggestive of a "unifying vision". The following represent one exercise to that end -- with the individual pathways framed metaphorically as "flowers"..

Animations of a "12-flower" dodecahedron suggestive of a unifying psychosocial metabolic map (Reproduced from Flowering of Civilization -- Deflowering of Culture: flow as a necessarily complex experiential dynamic, 2014)

Use of polyhedra, especially those that are spherically symmetrical, places any chosen mapping within a topological context in which it can be transformed (experimentally) into a wide range of other such polyhedra. The Stella Polyhedron Navigator can be used for that purpose (as in the production of the animations above). Use of the dodecahedron in the above case is suggestive of a means of rethinking into 3D the widespread use of the archetypal "roundtable" valued for its knowledge management and governance implications, as separately discussed (Implication of the 12 Knights in any Strategic Round Table, 2014).

This then raises useful questions about the connectivity between the functions with which each metabolic pathway is associated (Spherical Configuration of Interlocking Roundtables: Internet enhancement of global self-organization through patterns of dialogue, 1998). The 12-fold pattern can be usefully related to arguments of Edward de Bono (Six Thinking Hats, 1985; Six Frames: For Thinking About Information, 2008).

Function of nescience with respect to a "hole" in reality? The introduction to this review cited the renown of one of the authors with respect to The Tao of Physics and adapted an image on the cover of the book to highlight the merit of a central "hole" implicit in any articulation of a unifying vision -- with respect to what is "not there". Separately an argument was made for creative engagement with unknowing, rather than seeking forms of closure which are necessarily premature -- if the future is expected to offer further insight (Embodying a Hypercomplex of Unhygienic Nescience: questionable connectivity enabling apprehension of matters otherwise, 2014)

What might be the nature of such a "hole" -- given the manner in which it is beyond description -- and how might it govern cognitive processes (Existential implications -- of a "hole" in conventional reality? 2012). Just as astrophysics is free to indulge in speculation about Boltzmann Brains and intelligence in/of the universe, there may be a case for speculating on forms of indwelling intelligence consistent with the mindfulness/mindlessnesss complex framed by Taoism (Implication of Indwelling Intelligence in Global Confidence-building: sustaining the construction and dynamic of psychosocial reality through questioning, 2012). The empty centres of the dodecahedra above offer a way of imagining such a hole -- usefully giving a locus for what occurs "under the table" -- so typically ignored in the case of any "roundtable". It could be recognized as the locus of ignorance and nescience in both fruitful and unfruitful senses.

As with the astrophysics of a form of circulation of light around mysterious blackholes, is there a case for imagining forms of encircling any ultimately attractive formulation -- as a means of transcending more simplistic framings (Paradoxes of Engaging with the Ultimate in any Guise: living life penultimately, 2012; World Introversion through Paracycling: global potential for living sustainably "outside-inside", 2013; Way Round Cognitive Ground Zero and Pointlessness? 2012) Might there be possibilities of "encycling" problems strategically (Encycling Problematic Wickedness for Potential Humanity: imagining a future Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential, 2014).

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