Vol. 1 No. 4 December 2001Greetings!!
With this issue we complete a first cycle of our e-mission The Path. We hope that the ideas and reflections that we have shared through this medium have sparked in you the desire to continue learning about the significance of the quest for syntony in this world. In this issue our friend and mentor Erika Erdmann, Publisher and Editor of the journal Humankind Advancing, shares with us the relevance of the co-evolutionary research ideology. This ideology challenges us to think in terms of "both-and" rather than "either-or," invites us to engage in participative forms of inquiry, and reminds us to keep an open mind and a future orientation. Her views are refreshing and empowering and we thought they would be a wonderful holiday gift.
With our best wishes for a joyful holiday season and a meaningful 2002.
In syntony,
- Kathia & Alexander Laszlo
The co-evolutionary research ideology
Did you know?
A practical suggestion...
Syntony Quest spotlight
Get involved!
We want to hear from you...The Co-Evolutionary Research Ideology
by Erika Erdmann
Publisher & Editor, Humankind Advancing
erika@syntonyquest.orgOne statement stands out in my mind, a statement I had found in
"Learning to Become" by Alexander and Kathia Laszlo (Creating
Learning Communities, Ron Miller, Ed., 2000). "Evolutionary Learning Communities do not adapt their environments to their needs nor do they simply adapt to their environments. Rather, they adapt with their environment in a dynamic of mutually sustaining evolutionary co-creation."How much in tune with my life's preoccupation!
In July 1990, I wrote:
Contrasting basic assumptions lie at the root of many unresolvable
conflicts. -- Do we have a tool, a science, or anything of that kind
which deals with he correction of erroneous basic assumptions?I believe that the "co-evolutionary research ideology," as described by
the philosopher of science, Patricia Churchland (1986) comes closest to
what we need to overcome both a blind forward rush into unforeseen
dangers and resignation to unfortunate developments we can foresee.The "co-evolutionary research ideology," which has greatly contributed
to the success in science, encourages the approach of two opposing
theories towards a common position closer to the truth than any of the
former. It works through a method in which successful research results
in pursuit of one of these theories elicit new insights, adjustments,
and research designs in the opposing one. These new findings, in turn,
illuminate and adjust the former, and so on, until the best possible
approach to the truth is reached. Often, none of the original theories
has to be abolished, but each is enriched and enlightened by the
opposing one.An example is the theory that poverty and slums cause diseases vs. the
theory that diseases are caused by germs -- two views which in the last
half of the 19th century were fighting each other fanatically. We now
know that poverty and slums cause diseases because germs proliferate
under these conditions. There is no reason left why one of these
theories should be defended against the other one.If such methods could be applied to solve political and ideological
disagreements, wars will become unnecessary and humanity will have made
an immense step forward.* * * * *
From Humankind Advancing, Vol. 1, No.3:
The drama of the slum vs. germ controversy, which I had traced a few
years earlier with the help of several encyclopedias at the library of
the California Institute of Technology, was unforgettable. I am using
here the original compilation from my encyclopedia notes:"An excellent example is the fight, raging during the second half of the
19th century, between the pioneer of bacteriology, Nobel Laureate Robert
Koch, and the medical authority Rudolf Virchow. At its height, the
battle involved almost every medical institute on all continents. The
two sides approached the problem from much different perspectives. Koch
and his disciples remained glued to the microscope and discovered
bacterial causes of disease after disease. Virchow, on the other hand,
was convinced that diseases are caused by poverty and neglect. He had
cleaned up the slums of Berlin and transformed the city from one of the
dirtiest in the world to one of the cleanest in only two decades.
Pointing to the drastic reduction in illness his measures had produced,
he rejected Koch's evidence. So deeply ingrained was his conviction
that either bacteria alone or poverty alone was the cause of disease
that he -- the man considered the world's leader in his field, the man
for whom an entire institute had been built in the city of Berlin --
forbade the study of bacteriology in his institute. He approached the
problem from a different level, one in which bacteria had no place. So
adamant was his conviction that he still refused to change his mind even
when bacteriology became an accepted course in all major medical
institutes. Finally, confronted with the choice of either permitting
courses in bacteriology or resigning, Virchow resigned."At some point someone asked the question: Under which conditions do
bacteria thrive best? That question led to a step-by-step approach
toward a superior middle position: poverty and neglect cause diseases
because bacteria proliferate in unsanitary slum conditions, and because
poverty and neglect lower resistance against them. Today, it is hard to
understand how such a self-evident solution could have been missed at
the outset, and how the contrast of viewpoints could have led to such
violent fights."* * * * *
From Beyond a World Divided by Erdmann and Stover (1991), pp.131, 132.
(Though published only in 1991, the book had been completed much
earlier.)Another controversy raged during the middle of the next century, and
around another famous man of science, E.O.Wilson. Wilson had been
fascinated by snakes and insects since childhood, had studied their
behavior thoroughly, and had written a large and meticulously researched
tome on the subject, called Sociobiology. It was hardly published when
attacks on it flared up all over the world. Wilson had extrapolated
from insects directly to humans and had implied that, because deceit
occurred in lower animals, it was a natural survival device of evolution
and can therefore not be rejected as evil in humans. Goodness is based
on self-deceit. -- But in contrast to Virchow, Wilson learned from his
opponents -- especially from one very kind, intelligent and
understanding person, R.W.Burhoe (a good friend of mine with whom I had
many conversations on the subject). Burhoe convinced his opponent --
and later his friend -- that in humans, culture -- an evolutionary
device absent in animals -- has become a major influence on behavior, in
the absence of which we could not exist.So thorough was Wilson's conversion, that his latest book, Consilience,
does not even mention
Sociobiology (on which he had worked half of his life) in the list under
his autobiographical blurb. I have read both books and am astonished
about their different outlook and about Wilson's humility. He describes
the intoxication of a scientific discovery, the shell it builds around
the discoverer's mind, and the difficulty to penetrate that shell with
new evidence -- all from personal experience. Yet, he succeeded to
break it. Consilience goes beyond the co-evolutionary research
ideology, which is concerned only with science. Wilson writes:"Most of the issues that vex humanity daily -- ethnic conflict, arms
escalation, overpopulation,
abortion, environment, endemic poverty, to cite several most
persistently before us --cannot be solved without integrating knowledge
from the natural sciences with that of the social sciences and the
humanities. Only fluency across the boundaries will provide a clear
view of the world as it really is, not seen through the lens of
ideologies and religious dogmas or commanded by myopic response to
immediate need."What is the difference between Virchow and Wilson? -- An open mind!
An open mind is the foundation for humanity's survival and development.
* * * * *
Again, we are confronted with a controversy, far more dangerous than the
ones described above, even more dangerous than any that existed before.
It is a dichotomy of political convictions in an age of nuclear,
chemical, and biological weapons. On the one side, fanatical terrorists
sacrifice their lives in a frenzy of terrible destruction, on the other
one, righteous and revenge-hungry statesmen divide the entire world into
two parts: "Either you are for us, or you are for the terrorists."
There is nothing in between.Is it possible to arrive at a middle position between these two
extremes, superior to both of them? I see a faint hope at the horizon.
It has been called "Capitalism with a Conscience" by one of my friends
and subscribers to Humankind Advancing, Raymond Schiller, and it is a
point of view in which freedom co-exists with interior convictions of
right and wrong that would prevent excesses. For instance, the skillful
targeting of young, unformed minds to instill desire for unneeded
things, inbuilt obsolescence, and many more devices to make money at
the expense of our environment and our future would be perceived as
revolting, just as we are now revolted by the thought that stealing and
murder ought to be permitted in the name of freedom. In fact, such
interior restrictions on freedom are the only guarantors for its lasting
existence. Nor does "Capitalism with a Conscience" allow concentration
on money-making to overrule concern for our fellow-beings. In such a
system, the accumulation of money is never being degraded as an aim in
itself. Money has value only as a means to achieve a worthwhile and
fulfilling life.The most beautiful, worthwhile, and fulfilling life, I believe, is one
that rises above preoccupation with short-term personal success to
concern with the success of our species. Here, constant adjustment of
dream and reality is necessary, and constant learning about the nature
of reality. During biological evolution, the effect of emerged
phenomena upon each other resulted in eye sight. Let us hope and work
for a new emergent form of cultural evolution: mind sight -- the ability
to foresee and avoid dangers -- esp. the extinction of our species --
and the ability to discern and encourage new and promising initiatives.
And that is what Syntony Quest is all about, and why it is so urgently
needed.The most recent understanding of evolution, based on the sciences of
complexity, provides a new perspective on the story of the universe and
allows us to appreciate the magnificence of life in all its forms. As
Thomas Berry says in his book, The Dream of the Earth, we humans are the
mind of the earth, and as such, we have the privilege and responsibility
to steward our evolution.The co-evolutionary research ideology that Erika Erdmann shared with us
is one of the many implications of this new worldview -- the view of a
co-creative universe. It is our task to think of the many ramifications
of this worldview and manifest them in our day to day actions. For
example, the split between the human world and the natural world needs
to be healed. The new field of Biomimicry, as portrayed by Janine
Benyus, is all about learning from nature: Nature as model, as measure,
and as mentor. For a long time we have judged things (technologies,
products, services, and innovations in general) by asking "Is it good
for me/us?" or, quite commonly, "Is it profitable?" The result of this
type of utilitarian perspective is that in the United States, 95% of all
virgin forest have been cut down in the last 200 years and half of the
native ecosystems degraded to the point of endangerment. [1]But now that we are beginning to understand our oneness with our planet,
we need to ask questions with regard to emergent innovations such as
"Will it fit in?," "Will it last?," and "Is there a precedent for this
in nature?" If so, Janine says, the following questions could be
answered with a YES:Does it run on sunlight?
Does it use only the energy it needs?
Does it fit form to function?
Does it recycle everything?
Does it reward cooperation?
Does it bank on diversity?
Does it utilize local expertise?
Does it curb excess from within?
Is it beautiful? [1][1] Janine Benyus (1997). Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by nature. New
York: William Morrow & Co, p. 291-292.Erika Erdmann ended her contribution by sharing her belief that "The
most beautiful, worthwhile, and fulfilling life... is one that rises
above preoccupation with short-term personal success to concern with the
success of our species." Those of us committed to this work and to the
vision of a sustainable and evolutionary future, need the inspiration
for innovation that can only come from nature, its wisdom, and its
diversity.Janine Benyus suggests four steps toward a "biomimetic future," and the
first two are:
Quieting: Immersing ourselves in nature
and
Listening: Learning from the flora and fauna of our planetHere are some ideas on how small but conscious acts can help us take
these two steps:- go hiking or camping
- walk barefooted on the grass
- dance in the rain
- plant a tree
- create a vegetable garden
- observe insects
- adopt a pet
- create a compost
- listen to the sounds of animals
- meditate on the beach
- observe the stars
- hold a babySyntony Quest spotlight
In 2002, Syntony Quest will launch a line of collaborative consulting:
Syntony Consulting. In alignment with the co-evolutionary research
ideology, the services offered through Syntony Consulting promote
collaboration and participation in the common endeavor of co-creating a
sustainable and evolutionary future. The expertise of Syntony Consulting
can be of benefit to different types of organizations:* For Corporations:
Syntony Consulting can help business corporations to connect their
strategic mission with the larger vision of a sustainable and
evolutionary future. Issues of community and meaning in the workplace,
stewarding of the local communities and ecosystems where the company
operates, service and volunteerism opportunities for personnel, design
of organizational learning systems for ethical innovation, experiential
workshops on systems thinking and design.... just to mention some of the
areas where Syntony Consulting can add value to your corporation.* For Educational Institutions and Learning Organizations:
Syntony Consulting has developed a program called SoIL -- Systems of
Innovative Learning -- that is geared to expand the boundaries of
education to bring to its core self-directed, meaningful, active, and
collaborative learning experiences directly related to the challenges of
social and environmental sustainability. SoIL involves the co-creation
of Evolutionary Learning Communities customized to the needs of the
learners and their context. SoIL also incorporates, when appropriate,
the latest educational technologies to enhance the quality and depth of
the interaction between learners and their learning ecosystem.* For Nonprofit Organizations:
Syntony Consulting can help nonprofit organizations interested in
proactively connecting their particular area of work with the overall
vision of a more just, peaceful, and sustainable society. In addition,
Syntony Consulting offers workshops and seminars on the relevance of the
new sciences for social transformation., on participatory methodologies
for social change, and on the design of Evolutionary Learning
Communities.For inquiries about Syntony Consulting services, contact us at
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Syntony Quest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization seeking to
catalyze learning processes that empower individuals and groups to
develop the competencies necessary for the co-creation of sustainable
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http://www.SyntonyQuest.orgThe Path: Action-sparking ideas of today for tomorrow
is a publication of Syntony Quest © 2001.
The ideas expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of the organization,
but rather of the individuals who contributed to this issue.
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