ethics (ethical dynamics) chapter.4

Our ‘human and social potentialities’ along

with our ‘cognitive (social) structures and

potentialities’ find their life source and

potential for synergy in the characteristics of

living systems - those that give life to our

biological and human universe.

© Abraham Chiasson 1

Chapter 4

Living Systems and Ethical Dynamics - Premise 1

‘Ethics’ = Synergy (+ or -) and, are -

“The ultimate expression and driver of our search for ‘harmony’ within our individual (institutional and societal) self and the

world.”

November 2010 © Abraham Chiasson 2

Ethics /

Synergy

Cognitive

(Social)

Structures

Core Social

Potentialities

(Ind.-Inst.-Soc.)

Cognitive

Potentialities

Core Human Potentialities

(Ind.-Inst.-Soc.)

Chapter 4

Living Systems and Ethical Dynamics – Premise 2

‘Ethics’ = Synergy (+ or -) and, are -

“The ultimate expression and driver of our search for ‘harmony’ within the universe of living systems.”


Ethics /

Synergy

Cognition

Structural

Coupling

Dissipative

Structures

Autopoiesis

Chapter 4

Living Systems and Ethical Dynamics

Key characteristics of living systems: ‘Mind and body are and act together’

○ 1. Cognition - continual bringing forth of a world through the process of living;

○ 2. Living is a network of production processes aimed at the maintenance of its own integrity -‘autopoiesis’ ;

○ 3. Living systems interact with one another via structural coupling; and

○ 4. Life results from living in a world of ‘dissipative structures’ where we must “shift our perception from: stability to instability, order to disorder, equilibrium to non-equilibrium, being to becoming”.


Chapter 4


1. Cognition

Some thoughts:

« The interactions of a living system with itsenvironment are cognitive interactions, and theprocess of living itself is a process of cognition. In thewords of Maturana and Varela, 'To live is to know’. » ...

« Cognition, then, is not a representation of an independently existing world, but rather a continual bringing forth of a world through the process of living. »

(Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life,p. 267)


Chapter 4


1.Cognition

Some thoughts... :

“…. Cognition ... is rather the enactment of a world and a mind on the

basis of a history of the variety of actions that a being in the world

performs.” (Francisco J. Varela, Evan Thompson and Eleanor

Rosch, The Embodied Mind, MIT Press, p. 9)

“A cognitive system is a system whose organization (individual,

institution or society) defines a domain of interactions in which it

can act with relevance to the maintenance of itself, and the

process of cognition is the actual (inductive) acting or behaving in

this domain.” (Maturana, H., and F. Varela, Autopoiesis and

Cognition: The Realization of the Living, p.13)


Chapter 4


1. Cognition

In the world of cognition, ethical dynamics are:

Associated with our process of living – of bringing forth and growing ‘who’ we are -,

Driven and given a ‘human’ life by the forces associated with our human potentialities (and, social potentialities – Ch. 6, 7 & 8) - and, importantly,

Given ‘structure’ – a capacity for acting and growing -by our cognitive (social) structures and potentialities.


Chapter 4


1. Cognition

Ethical Issues - For the individual – (applicable also toinstitutions and societies) e.g.,

Is he / she capable of acting in a manner that brings a

sense of congruency and growth to his / her core

human potentialities e.g., for vision and hope?

Are landscape socio-political dynamics conducive to

growing the self as an effective ‘social’ individual?

Are landscape ethics capable of creating a synergy of

‘world and mind’, conducive to growth of the

individual’s cognitive potentialities?


Chapter 4


2. Autopoiesis

Some thoughts: Autopoiesis -

"...the organization common to all living systems. It is a network

of production processes, in which the function of each

component is to participate in the production or

transformation of other components in the network.

In this way the entire network continually 'makes itself'. It is

produced by its components and in turn produces those

components. 'In a living system', the authors explain, 'the

product of its operation is its own organization." (Capra,

The Web of Life, p. 98)


Chapter 4


2. Autopoiesis

Some thoughts… :

“…’Social systems use communication as their particular mode of autopoietic reproduction. Their elements are communications that are recursively produced and reproduced by a network of communications and that cannot exist outside of such a network.’ These networks of communication are self-generating.

Each communication creates thoughts and meaning, which give rise to further communications, and thus the entire network generates itself – it is autopoietic. As communications recur in multiple feedback loops, they produce a shared system of beliefs, explanations, and values – a common context of meaning – that is continually sustained by further communications.” (Capra, The Hidden Connections, p.83)


Chapter 4


2. Autopoiesis – Our ‘human / living system’ universe


Living Systems

Universe

Socio-Political

Landscapes &

Dynamics

Socio-political

Structures

Cognitive

(Social)

Structures &

Potentialities

Human

&

Social

Potentialities

Chapter 4


2. Autopoiesis - Our ‘human / living system’ universe

Dynamics ...

This network of production processes is driven by the human and socialpotentialities of its components via their cognitive (social) structures and potentialities.

Each component in the network – individuals, institutions & (ultimately) societies - as socio-political structures, participates in the production of the network and, of each of the other components via the landscape’s socio-political dynamics.

The components, and the ‘circle’ itself as a living system, are in a mutually dependent network of broader production processes (the broken circle).

The components participate in the overall universe of living systems via their participation in their ‘living system’.

( - will be the object of Chapters 6 – 7 & 8)


Chapter 4


2. Autopoiesis...

Understanding ethics is understanding:

How they affect the ability of the network of individual, institutional and societal relationships to 'make itself', to afford ever more sophisticated forms of human expression and to contribute to human ‘happiness’; and,

How the network’s myriad relationship commitments and qualities -‘ethics’ - provide for the growth of each of the network’s components e.g., individuals, institutions, or societies.

From a business perspective, we could ask: how do ethics contribute to the creation of the network’s entrepreneurial energy, and to the professional and financial growth of its actors?


Chapter 4


2. Autopoiesis ...

Ethical issues could be stated as follows:

Overall, does the synergy between ethics and authority and power foster the growth of the socio-political landscape i.e., the human and social potentialities of the network - via the growth of its components and, their cognitive (social) structures and potentialities?

More specifically, how are the landscape’s ethics affected by the landscape’s authority and power reality and dynamics e.g., can they be open, shared and responsible; and,

Does the synergy of ethics and authority and power open up the landscape to participation on other landscapes?


Chapter 4


2. Autopoiesis “Overall ...”


“Ethics”

Authority

&

Power

Socio-Political

Landscape

Dynamics

Cognitive (Social)

Structures &

Potentialities

Human & Social

Potentialities

Components

Ind. / Inst. / Society

Chapter 4


3. Structural Coupling

‘Structural coupling’

‘Living and growing’ relationship dynamics – between two living

systems e.g., between individuals, individuals and institutions, and

between institutions and

with society at large.

Structure:

1) Our ‘human and social potentialities’ –

Individual, institution and society - as living social systems.

2) Our cognitive (social) structures and potentialities –

‘Capacities for effective engagement’


Chapter 4


3. Structural Coupling – « Structure »

Core

Human Potentialities

Vision

/

Hope

Personal

Identity

Consciousness

/

Conscious Will

Sense of

Self

Core

Social

Potentialities

Destiny

/

Accountability

Contribution

/

Capacity

Belonging

/

Empathy

Synergy

/

Connection

Cognitive

Potentialities

Cognitive

(Social)

Structures

Chapter 4


3. Structural Coupling ...

A living system e.g., a human social system - builds its own distinctive world according to its own distinctive structure.

As Varela and then Fritjof Capra in The Web of Life (p. 269) put it:

"'Mind and world arise together'. However, through mutual structural coupling, individual living systems are part of each other's worlds. ...

There is an ecology of worlds brought forth by mutually coherent acts of cognition. ...

From the perspective of the Santiago theory, intelligence is manifest in the richness and flexibility of an organism's structural coupling."


Chapter 4



How does structural coupling work?

« A living system responds with structural changes in its closed,

autopoietic network » (p.269), its resultant structure

importantly embodies the results of its structural coupling

with changes in its structure aimed at a new autopoiesis of

'system and environment', or a capacity to maintain and

grow itself.


Chapter 4



Pattern Structure Process


How does structural coupling work?

Chapter 4


3.Structural Coupling …

Social (human) energies are shaped by and bring about a specific intentionality or aboutness to a landscape e.g., an emergent ‘ethic’ of fairness, equity, and competitiveness usually embodied in an ethical structure - aimed at the enactment of a set of realities and,

Bring a specific – pattern - to the living system’s core structure e.g., via a landscape relevant identity – a recognized capacity for engaging with other components – and,

Provide a specific ‘organization’ pattern to our human and social potentialities and, cognitive (social) structures and potentialities - conducive to engaging with other living systems -.


Pattern

Chapter 4


3. Structural Coupling …

Individuals, institutions and societies, go about enacting their world

via their structure i.e., their human and social potentialities, and

cognitive (social) structures and potentialities –

Aimed at relevant changes to their – structure -, those that will via

relationship (ethical) principles and norms grow e.g., their sense

of vision and hope and, from a cognitive perspective more

appropriate ethics or ideologies and,

Provide the individual, the institution or society, with the authority

and power needed to compete and grow their human and social

potentialities, and cognitive (social) structures and potentialities.


Structure

Chapter 4


3. Structural Coupling …

Process focuses on the nature and characteristics – qualities -

of ‘learning and doing’ in a network of relationships and,

Is driven and given life by the landscape’s relationship

commitments and qualities – those that tap into and bring to

life the living system’s emotional and cognitive energies –

and,

Give meaning to our daily activities e.g., what I did turned out

‘good or bad’ and, that bring emotional coloring i.e., feelings,

to what we do and that give us clues as to their

appropriateness.


Process

Chapter 4


3. Structural Coupling … Summary - 1


Pattern Structure Process

Intentionality

(Aboutness)

Human & Social

Potentialities /

Cognitive (social)

Structures and

Potentialities

Learning

&

Doing

Ethical

Structure

“Ethical”

Principles and

Norms

Relationship

Commitments

&

Qualities

Chapter 4


3. Structural Coupling … Summary - 2


Ethical

Structure

“Ethical”

Principles

and

Norms

Relationship

Commitments

&

Qualities

Intentionality

(Aboutness)

Human & Social

Potentialities /

Cognitive (social)

Structures and

Potentialities

Learning

&

Doing

Intentionality

(Aboutness)

Human & Social

Potentialities /

Cognitive (social)

Structures and

Potentialities

Learning

&

Doing

Chapter 4


3. Structural Coupling … Ethical Issues

To what extent are relationship commitments and qualities the result of shared contribution values (ethical structure) –

Do they have the potential for enriching a shared ethical structure and related principles and norms - a shared ethical congruency -;

Are the ethical principles and norms that I bring to structural coupling via my domain contributions –

Conducive to growing the institution’s human and social potentialities, and cognitive (social) structure and potentialities – its structure –; and,

Are the results of the institution’s structural coupling – its resultant realities

Conducive to growing the landscape’s ethical structure and, of creating the context for the growth of its actors?


Chapter 4


4. Dissipative Structures

« In classical thermodynamics the dissipation of energy in heat transfer, friction, and the like was always associated with waste. »

Prigogine’s concept of dissipative structures introduced a radical change in this view by showing that in open systems dissipation becomes a source of order.” (Capra, The Web of Life p. 89)

Creating and maintaining our living structure as individuals, institutions and societies, means that we are capable of receiving, transforming and dissipating energy e.g.,

from a social perspective, psychic and emotional energies - those nourishing and giving life to our core human and social potentialities i.e., those forces driving our cognitive (social) structures and potentialities.


Chapter 4


4. Dissipative Structures ...

Therefore, to live is to be a component of a network of dissipative structures where –

« a living organism is subject to continual flows and change in its metabolism and, where ‘social’ structures receive and give in their networks of living social structures i.e., open to change and transformation – new order ».

Capra emphasizes in his later book, The Hidden Connections:

« This spontaneous emergence of order at critical points of instability is one of the most important concepts of the new understanding of life. It is technically known as self-organization and is often referred to simply as ‘emergence’.

It has been recognized as the dynamic origin of development, learning, and evolution. In other words, creativity – the generation of new forms – is a key property of all living systems. » (p.14)


Chapter 4


4. Dissipative Structures ...

Energies associated with our human and social potentialities are‘metabolized’ by our cognitive (social) structures and potentialities

via our socio-political – ethical – dynamics to create an ‘emerging’ order: new social realities


Ethics

Synergy

“Nonequilibrium”

Cognitive

(Social)

Structures &

Potentialities

Dissipative

“Structures”

Ind.-Inst.-Society

Human &

Social

Potentialities

Social

Realities

“Order”

Chapter 4


4. Dissipative Structures – Ethical Issues

“In living systems the order arising from nonequilibrium is far more evident, being manifest in the richness, diversity, and beauty of life all around us.

Throughout the living world chaos is transformed into order." (Capra, The Web of Life, p. 190)

Are the ethics ‘driving’ an individual or a community, capable of creating a:

Constructive synergy of the individual or the community’s human and social

potentialities e.g., for a sense of self and destiny, along with its cognitive

(social) structures and potentialities e.g., for its institutional context and its

aesthetics and knowledge e.g.,

Towards the creation of a relevant and more pregnant sense of order - ‘new

and more meaningful realities’ - for the individual or the community?

Or, do societal ethics (socio-political dynamics) create a sense of alienation

e.g., what we sometimes find to be the case with ‘marginalized’ communities

and, what is for them, a meaningless sense of order?


Part I: Ethics and our Human Potentialities

and Social Structures - Summary


Core

Socio-Political

Structures

Cognitive

(Social)

Structures &

Potentialities

‘Ethical Dynamics’

Core Values

Principles and Norms

Relationship

Commitments &

Qualities

Living Systemts Dynamics

Human

(Social)

Potentialities

Socio-Political

Dynamis

(Authority & Power)

ethics (ethical dynamics) chapter.4

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