integral postmetaphysical enaction

[Edward theurj Berge]

It is with much ado that I change the name of my blog to “integral postmetaphysical enaction” but will keep the same address. The term nonduality is too limited and too attached to certain metaphysical schools of philosophy and religion. Yes, I can recontextualize the term, make it mean whatever I want, but the weight of its historical association is more than my miniscule influence can overcome. On the other hand the term enaction is within the historical context of recent developments in cognitive science yet applicable to all methodologies across the spectrum. Plus it specifically denotes the kind of nonduality in which I'm interested through continuity, both within an individual and between an individual with others and the environment. In AQALese, the integrated and inseparable relations between the one and the many, the inside and the outside. And all within a postmetaphysical, developmental trajectory that dynamically enacts a worldspace, not discovers a universal, given world. It also demonstrates the relation of action and theory, for it is my hope to inspire action in those who read these theoretical ramblings.

 

By the way, I did an internet search on those terms in  parentheses and again it is currently the only link on the web, another first.

 

Here is a good working definition of enaction from Enaction School 2010:

 

“The term enactive is used to identify a way of thinking about, and a set of methodologies for conducting, cognitive science. This approach to describing, explaining and investigating the mind emphasises the valued, meaningful interaction between a living agent and its environment. It emphasises the continuity between the basic processes of living (e.g. metabolism) and cognition. It recognises the autonomy of living systems and the way in which meaning, thought and experience emerge within the dynamic, skilful activity of the agent - the enaction of meaning, thought and experience.

 

“Standing in contrast to much of mainstream thinking within Cognitive Science, the enactive approach challenges many of the basic assumptions of extant theory. The body (including but not limited to the brain) is considered to have an integral role in the processes of the mind. Cognitive processes are seen as the means by which an agent adapts their behavior so as to maintain their values (in the simplest case, biological values such as continued existence but in more complex cases, social and cultural values come into play). The nature of such processes is considered to be dynamic and adaptive, rather than a set of structures that are universal and modular in character.”

[Edward theurj Berge]

Bowling for Columbine revisited.

[Edward theurj Berge]

Rifkin on the emerging socio-economics. Although in this article Rifkin is off-base, in that he agrees with Germany's Merkel that "stringent austerity programs will have to be enacted in the member countries to reduce government debt." He argues that alone is not enough, that they'll also need to implement his 3rd revolution tech. But we've seen how the austerity program is causing greater harm, that it is not at all necessary, and that due to austerity there will not be sufficient funds to support his programs. I wonder if he has more recent thoughts on Germany's austerity and how it is actually thwarting his 3rd revolution?

[Edward theurj Berge]

In this more recent interview he notes Germany is moving forward with his agenda. But while their economy is strong enough to pay for these innovations their foreign austerity policy on other nations is thwarting any change they will be able to afford it.

[Edward theurj Berge]

In Rifkin's 5/29/12 speech at the European Commission he noted that while austerity must be part of the solution it must not "compromise the guiding values of the European Dream which include...the advancement of quality of life for every citizen." Yet this is the very thing attacked in the US austerity policies, taking from the poor and middle class to give to the rich. I'm not familiar with European austerity measures but if they are anything like US policies then it most certainly violates these values.

[Edward theurj Berge]

For example, this article notes that the UK poor were the hardest hit by their austerity measures.

This one on Spain notes that the poor are hit the hardest while the rich sacrifice little.

This report on the EU as a whole notes the following:

"Poverty has increased by 2 million since 2010, and the analysis of the NRPs demonstrates how macroeconomic focus on austerity, driven by economic governance, is directly undermining benefits and public services."

[Layman Pascal]

Trees cutting at their own roots to save water in a drought.

[Edward theurj Berge]

Good metaphor, but it still contains the fallacy that there is a lack of wealth (drought). Many have made the case (with stats) that there's plenty of wealth to go around (a real oasis) but it resides with the top 1%, which are making record profits (one example). That it's not distributed is the cause of the drought for everyone else.

And let us not forget that the very real, dire economic situation for the rest of us was directly caused by the 1% committing crimes, ripping off our economy and then crashing it while they get bail-outs, bonuses for failure and are now way better off than ever before. There's plenty to go around but our budget priorities choose to serve austerity for the lower 98% while the top get way more than they could ever use, except to buy elections that enact laws to make them even richer while everyone else gets poorer.

Coming back to Rifkin, his ideas are the next step in my opinion. But I think perhaps he's a bit naive to think that Merkel and Germany have the best interests of everyone in mind when they implement his ideas, instead more likely thinking of their own best national interests. That Germany is demanding austerity for the struggling EU nations, who are struggling because of the financial crimes per above, and that austerity is only serving to further impoverish them instead of help them, seems more indicative of my hypothesis.

[Layman Pascal]

True, my metaphor used the common global economic sentiment as its basis.  There are a variety of excellent alternative models of economic human networking, even alternative models of consumer capitalism, which yield dramatic alterations of the wealth balance and the eco-economic interaction... not to mention the cultural conditions for evolutionary spiritual activity.

BUT... the issue is not really WHO has a good model.  It's HOW does any other model activate?  What are the factors actually holding the current system in our psychology?  How does actual multi-dimensional paradigm shift happen?  Etc.

Who do you like on -- the possibilities of transition...?

[Edward theurj Berge]

I really like Rifkin despite my complaint, since he's actively working with governments to enact the next revolution. An AQAL-informed economist I've explored is Christian Arnsperger in this thread. I explored others in this thread.

[Edward theurj Berge]

A main focus of my IP spirituality has been in the form of political economy. In that light a few excerpts of Arnsperger from the progressive economics thread in this post:

"A 30 percent tax on the world’s two hundred highest fortunes...could give every poor person on the planet a lifetime of nutrition, health, and education. The irony of the situation is that the psychological suffering of a handful of billionaires each 'robbed' of one third of his fortune would quickly overshadow the physical and psychological suffering experienced today by the 'bottom billion' of the poorest among the poor.

"I fully realize that in the depths of my own body and my own psyche I am just like those billionaires.... For Western man, asking for a third, or even a tenth, of his income in order to feed, house, and educate the whole world is simply too much to ask; each Western Man is the whole world unto himself—we have been manufactured that way by our culture. It’s called modern individualism.

"We can choose differently, we can choose to look at our lives in another way and to realize that we have made the capitalist market economy into our church, and modern economic science into our religion.

“I think we need to go as far as saying that economic thought has a strictly spiritual root.... The economy is, therefore, less a technical-operational domain than an existential-spiritual one.... Economics, therefore...is part and parcel of theology—not only neo-liberal economics (as some left-wing critics claim, using the word 'theology' as a degrading term), but all of economics to the extent that it ultimately seeks to liberate Man. Marx, Keynes, and Hayek were, literally, the most influential theologians of the 20th century; I say this not by analogy or as an image, but as a literal description of what their study of economic activity was about.”

[Edward theurj Berge]

Lakoff on building "that."

[Edward theurj Berge]

Robbin's recent firewalk fail reminded me of some satires I did back in the mid 80s while attending massage therapy school. The firewalk was just starting up so I did a mock-up called Tirewalk. And here's another one on tai chi.