Facilitating A Next Renaissance

Export internal conflict to maintain coherence

"Export internal conflict to maintain coherence." A very good way to sum up several of the key chapters of The Lucifer Principle.

But it is also a very old trick. Coming to think about it, it might be the basic rule for biological systems: coherence of themolecules inside the cellmembrane is being maintained by generating (water)pressure to the outside. Coherence of the cells inside the body is being maintained by resisting the pressure of external bodies.

With a bit of imagination, we could say that this is also true for atoms. Inside the atoms, the internal conflict between protons (all having the samecharge) is exported to the electrons, who have exactly the same problem,but with an opposite charge. These both internally warring fractions,being facilitated by neutrons, create a stable whole. In fact, Smith and Berg connect the inter-group paradox of power withthe intra-group paradox of expression. Ex-pression: again (as emergency) has a double meaning: that of speaking out (expressing oneself, as in art) and the use of force (resisting pressure, as in business). This might be the reason that art, like the Athenian Golden Age, the Italian Renaissance or the Dutch Golden Age, emerges from thepressures of war together with a rise in trade, business.

Lets look into the future: the internet emerged from the cold war, so itseems only naturally that a next renaissance should emerge from thecurrent 'clash of civilisations'. The next shift in our part of the global brain has to be that we do no longer need war between peoples to make progress. I'm thinking of writing a 'Declaration of Interdependence'. Like the 'Acte van Verlatinghe', the Dutch original of the US-version. Based on some common knowledge, certain rules, state whywe need this new declaration and on what (different / new / explanation of old) rules we declare ourselves interdependent of the whole. Perhaps you have some suggestions?

posted by Jan @ 4/05/2006