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Cross disciplinary aspects The learning progress as described above and illustrated on figure 8, can also be applied to other scenarios where learning occurs. We will give a few examples.
Learning in general The learning progress can be applied when a person learns something, e.g. lears how to make a speech, ride a bicycle, juggle, paint, knit, etc.. We will use the example with riding a bicycle. To learn it the person concentrates on learning the basics of riding a bicycle: Keeping the balance, not steering into obstacles, pedaling etc. Once these basics are learned the person is at stage 4 in the learning progress. At stage 4 the person can ride the bicycle but it is done in a restrained and uneasy manner because the focus is on the knowledge complex (is the balance ok?... dont hit tree... remember to pedal, etc.). In stage 4 to 7 the knowledge complex are integrated. The person let go of the focus on the knowledge complex and allows the knowledge to be absorbed or incorporated. The criticial issue is how long time the person should hold a firm grip on the knowledge complex: If the grip is loosened too early the crystalized knowledge complex will simply dissolve and the person will loose (forget) the knowledge. On the other hand if the knowledge complex is kept in focus too long, much time will be wasted by riding the bicycle in a tense and uneasy manner and maybe (in the worstcase) so much energy (consciousness) are directed to the knowledge complex that it becomes neurotic – the learning progress gets stuck at stage 4.
Science Science, as an organization of knowledge and principles used to gain new insights, also develops according to the learning principle. The development from stage 1 to 4 describes how science in the western world started to take form: Certain methods and conventions became generally accepted, and basic natural laws were discovered. Science were, and to a certain extent still is, extroverted and focused on the environment. The ‘information overload’ that science deals with today, is one of the (crisis) signs that it is about to change to the phase towards stage 7. Following the learning progress, science is changing from a focus on information to a focus on exformation, from being extroverted to being introverted. An introverted science means that it deals with its own internal organization and structures. This phase is necessary before it once again can turn its focus on the environment. The transition has been ushered in by philosophers and intuitive scientists within various fields. It seems that the transitions will not be a new direction for science as a whole, rather an offspring of the traditional science will shoot out, like a rescue vessel build inside Titanic, and take the direction towards stage 7. In the analogy, Titanic is the part of science that is stuck at stage 4: The part of science that has crystalized with concepts and natural laws ‘carved in stone’.
Psychology The development of the individual consciousness follows the same pattern. Roughly the stages 1 to 4 corresponds to the consciousness of a baby, child, teenager and adult. It is the progressive development of the personality, which is directly linked to deeper and deeper initiations into the realm of language. At stage 3 (teenager) the complex known as ‘personality’ has begun to take form. This is the ‘steering tool’ or vessel used by the individual to navigate in society, and leads to the extroverted adult who identifies with the personality. When the individual becomes introverted to some extent this marks the beginning of the process where a more complex vessel for consciousness are born. To nurture this germ the person must let go of the firm grip on the personality, i.e. stop identifying with it. The individual learns the blessings of self irony and solitude. As long as the rewards and punishment from the surroundings are important the person are held at stage 4, only when the person through an inner decision starts to reward and punish thoughts and behaviour in an alternative way, can the journey towards stage 7 begin. Like when learning how to ride a bicycle the critical issue is for how long the person should stick with the personality or knowledge complex that have been build since childhood. If the person lets go too early there exists no alternative vessel for the consciousness and the person will not be able to function in society. On the other hand if the person identifies with the personality complex for too long (maybe because of an unwillingness to let go of habits) a neurotic personality is the inevitable outcome – the person is stuck at stage 4 (or is blessed with a nervous breakdown).
Sociology When parents and society raise children, they use their influence to teach the children how to behave in relation to other persons. They reward the child when it behaves in a civilized manner, according to the norms and traditions in the culture. At some point the child has grown up (stage 4) and is ready to make its own unique contribution, which, since it is unique, necessarily deviates from the norms and traditions. The individual makes an inner shift in its own reward system (conscience or inner feeling of ‘what is right’): Instead of rewarding the more or less crystalized structure (stage 4) it rewards unique contributions, spontanity and norm deviating behaviour in general (cf. figure 5). The social system today produces gear wheels for the social machine: It is specialized in bringing the individual to stage 4. It does not contain the sufficient complexity to handle individuals who make unique contributions. This difference between the reward system used by the individual and the one used by the social system, creates a tension: When the individual behaves according to the social norm he “dries up inside” and when the individual instead choose to follow her heart, the reaction from the surroundings range from paying no attention to condemnation. The family, the organization and the education system are in general not geared to handle behaviour that deviates from traditional behaviour, which means that new social behaviour, progress and new ideas have (sofar) been brought forth in sheer defiance of the straitjacket offered by the surrounding society. Ironically this defying behaviour, which is often described as being blissful and filled with life, are often ‘rewarded’ with the death penalty in many countries. The crisis we witness in the world today could very well be the birth pangs for a more complex social system (stage 5), which can handle creativity from the individual in a wiser way.
Communication The cross disciplinary aspects of the learning principle, as described above, are based on the following four hypotheses: These hypotheses might or might not be true, the interesting thing is, in our opinion, that by assuming them to be true, a new unifying light can be shed on the efforts made by all men and women, who endeavor to understand the meaning of our existence.
The approach that these men and women have taken can roughly be divided into three archetypes: The scientist, the poet and the religious, giving rise to three paths towards understanding: Science, the humanities and religion, which together embraces the human effort to understand the meaning of existence. Traditionally these three fields have had difficulties in understanding each other: The scientist views the poet as a dreaming idealist and how can the religious believe in something of which there is no proof? The poet think of science as cold and heartless and therefor turns away from it, and how can anyone set some god higher than the love of the one and only? The religious cannot believe that anything of lasting value can be found through scientific investigation of our fallen world and the poet is merely a lost soul who wanders in darkness.
The division becomes apparent through the type of language used. The language of the scientists are traditionally based on logic and rationality, the language of writers and poets are based on feelings such as love, bravery and honour, and the religious use language based on a common faith. If the three groups are to communicate a language with a common base would be very helpful, if not vital. A base where logic, feelings and faith meets and create a synthesis: The aesthetic base. The languages based on logic, feelings and faith has brought forth and shaped the world we see today. A world where humanity has learned many lessons, but also a world characterized by separation, disunion and strife. What will a language based on their synthesis bring forth? It is our hope that the ideas presented here will serve as a help in shaping this new and still fragile language. |
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Johan Tino Frederiksen, 31 Engineer, computerscience Aalborg University
Interests: Bridgebuilding, Human consciousness, Kabbalah
johan_tino@hotmail.com |
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Mads Nørgaard Davidsen, 28 Engineer, biotechnology Aalborg University
Interests: Evolution, microorganisms, intuitive living
mazzigo@gmail.com |