Holism & Reductionism REDUX

This is being reposted because understanding it is crucial to dealing with our current socio-eco-econ-ethical Crisis.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_kbt7h1YRw&list=WL&index=63

There's plenty of evidence indicating both public and private Powers-That-Be are, for the most part, relying strictly on the reductionist method of analysis when working on our current, worldwide problems.  It appears little thought is given to the holistic approach.  If such really is true, then efforts to mitigate or eliminate those problems most likely will fall short.

All the primary aspects of our Crisis are interconnected, and THE main problem is ecological overshoot.  Ocean acidification, excessive natural resource depletion, pollution of water, air, and land, soil degradation, food insecurity, famine, decreasing fresh water availability, drought, climate change, social unrest, and more are all caused by humans engaging in eco-overshoot.  This all means the problem is extremely complex, and that means addressing it must include a holistic synthesis.  "Systems thinking" is required.

Details are in the short video at the link above.

................

Not only my opinion, Be Well

Wars, Governance, Complexity, the Astonishing Decline of USA's Diplomacy, and More

 The ecologist, Nate Hagens, interviews Chuck Watson, an expert with decades of experience in the geopolitics of the Middle East, the USA, and Russia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMVe4nxvQ6U

AT LEAST watch the first 20 minutes or so of this penetrating piece.

In our evolutionary history, we humans have moved further and further away from the reality of Nature.  Instead of Nature, we've used social constructs to make up our own reality.  Mistakenly, it seems most humans now believe the constructs of economics, politics, formal religion, and various other ideologies have placed us in a position superior to and separate from Nature.  That's a false belief, and destructive to our habitat.

Such a view can cause, and is causing, catastrophic consequences.  For example, many governments now appear to believe planetary biophysical limits can be ignored.  As a result of such a belief, natural resources - essential to life - are being depleted or damaged or destroyed at astronomical rates.  One result of that is:  governments are going to WAR over land, water, minerals, fertile soil, natural gas deposits, oil, and the like.  

[See the last online link in the post immediately prior to this piece.  Also see:  https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/6/21/palestines-forgotten-oil-and-gas-resources ]

Nothing can excuse the brutal murder of civilians by Hamas; however, the context of Israel essentially strangling Gaza and the West Bank Palestinians for decades should not be ignored.  It isn't only about religion.  Immediately adjacent to Israel, sitting underneath the surface of Palestinian land are deposits of oil and natural gas.  Israel needs such for economic growth.  Like most countries, it believes in infinite economic growth on a finite planet.

Are our made-up constructs necessary?  Yes, that's a given.  But they must be implemented with care and comprehensive thinking, and if we desire to thrive as a species, they must not ignore the Laws of Nature.  In modern times, our social constructs have made our lives more and more complex.  In fact, the complexity now is so enormous it's beginning to look as though our governments are on the brink of not being able to cope with the situation.  Underneath it all is the monstrous mistake we made after our discovery and development of a bonanza - fossil energy.  Instead of thinking comprehensively and sustainably, we went on a 150-year energy binge.  We're still on it.

That binge brought about (and it's ongoing) an exponential increase in the complexity of society in general.  Complexity doesn't have to be harmful.  An ecosystem is orders of magnitude more complex than any machine ever built by humans.  What can be harmful is having the Powers-That-Be (both public and private) analyzing and dealing with complexity using only linear thinking and a reductionist method of analysis.  A nonlinear, holistic approach needs to be in the mix.  Reductionism can be useful in certain circumstances, but holism (or systems thinking) is required for successfully navigating through complexity.  Very few political Leaders of today appear to have any clue whatsoever of holistic thinking.  If they had such a clue, perhaps we wouldn't be entering an era of natural resource scarcity; and maybe there would be a lot fewer wars, especially during troubling environmental catastrophes.  Perhaps differences among us would no longer impede peaceful cooperation.

.....................................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Ecologist William E. Rees on: overshoot, carbon dioxide, cities, and human thinking

 In this short clip, Prof. Rees is interviewed by another comprehensive thinker, Prof. Nate Hagens (The Great Simplification, also on YouTube).  This is an excerpt from a longer talk.  If you wish to increase your ecological knowledge, don't miss this---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1vX03h7w9c&list=WL&index=67

It seems to me that too many of our public & private Powers-That-Be are stuck in reductionist (as opposed to holistic) thinking.  As a result, as a species we're not yet approaching the mitigation of the Eco-Crisis in any comprehensive manner.  Here are a few specifics---

1.  Why is there no U.S. Dept. of Sustainability, or same in any other country?

2.  Which of the Powers-That-Be is addressing the soil crisis, or the acidification of the ocean, or the massive pollution of the ecosphere by micro-plastics, or pollution by endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or biodiversity loss (there is a bit of progress with this one), or how all these and more are linked?

3.  Which of the Powers truly understands the need for economic  development which is sustainable, as opposed to mindless economic growth which perpetually produces more mountains of rubbish (thus overwhelming Earth's waste-neutralizing capacity)?

4.  How many of the Powers really grasp this concept:  if we don't address the human overpopulation problem, Nature will - via massive starvation, famine, disease, and untimely death?

5.  How many of the Powers understand that technological advances are one of the main reasons we are now in a socio-eco-econ-ethical Crisis of the Ages?  Why?  Because those Tech advances were almost blindly implemented, with little thought to possible unintended consequences, and even less thought to monitoring & regulating their implementation.  A prime example is the petrochemical industry.  It has brought us great convenience, and monumental damage to health and ecosystems.  It's folly to believe that Technology alone now will save us.

Holism v. Reductionism---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_kbt7h1YRw&list=WL&index=63

..........................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Complexity Connections are why Powers-That-Be cannot seem to grasp the urgency of Earth's Global Crisis

If you're anything like me, for years occasionally you've pondered over the following questions.  With all the problems we've caused in the ecosphere, and the severity of same increasing at a fairly rapid rate, why do governments keep pushing each other to the brink?  Why do they keep going to war, which exacerbates ecological damage and ruins lives?  Why don't they wake up and realize global cooperation is required if we are to survive and thrive as aggregate humanity?  Why do they keep tinkering around the edges of the socio-eco-econ-ethical Crisis?  [I do realize there are many governments around the world to which the above does not apply*** , but it seems to me the overwhelming majority are guilty as charged.]

*** Norway comes to mind, and there are several others.  Overall, the U.S. Government is not in that ecologically literate club, and never has been.

I imagine there are several possible answers to the above questions; however, I believe the following has to be in the top three.  They simply don't understand the complexity and fragility of the ecosphere.  They just don't get it.  They grew up in a world of relative abundance in natural resources, and a population less than half of today's world population.  They seem to be stuck in the Past.

In addition, most politicians and their advisors cling to the idea of perpetually unlimited economic growth.  They believe any damage from such will be mitigated or eliminated by Technology.  So, full steam ahead!

To illustrate the interactions and connections they're missing - concepts which must be understood if we are to avoid the collapse of organized human existence - today I created the following diagram.  [The title is Complexity Connections.]  It harkens back to Barry Commoner's First Law of Ecology in 1971:  Everything is connected to everything else.

.............................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Rickards, Monkeys, Economists, and Complexity Theory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl9oiXeqzCI&list=WL&index=93

Jim Rickards has a Master's Degree in International Economics, and his analyses have been mostly on the mark in the past.  In this 13-minute clip, he explains WHY the next financial crash (which is overdue) will be "horrific".  The presentation has some good chuckles, and his reasoning makes a lot of sense.

He talks a hundred mph, so you have to listen carefully.  Most economists will not like the content, but they mostly deserve his characterization of them. 

Here's a brief overview of complexity theory.  Don't miss the last half.  Complexity theory is the key to an "emerging post-Newtonian paradigm" which finally is providing a holistic approach to the analysis of complex systems in both natural and artificial arenas.  The short clip below is the best introduction I've seen so far to a truly innovative and revolutionary subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-ladOjo1QA

....................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Major Flaws in Analyses by Mainstream Talking Heads Regarding Our Ongoing Socio-Eco-Econ Crisis

IIn addition to Alternative News sources (such as Democracy Now!), every day I watch or read at least a couple of Mainstream (corporate) News sources, such as NBC Nightly News or a news magazine article like this one---

https://time.com/6221771/stagflation-crisis-debt-nouriel-roubini/

Using the article above as an example, the following conclusions have become obvious.

It's a brilliant analysis (in terms of reductionism instead of holism) BUT there are two major flaws in it.  Because the author likely is a neoliberal economist (as opposed to an ecological economist such as Herman E. Daly, William E. Rees, Joshua Farley, et al.) he apparently can't see them.

1.  His analysis is strictly within the neoliberal framework of shooting for infinite economic growth (as well as overconsumption) on a finite  planet.  Such is eventually not possible because of the second law of thermodynamics (& other reasons), having to do with energy & entropy.  Without infinite growth - which requires ever more energy each year - mainstream (neoliberal) economics eventually will fail completely, regardless of anything the Fed does & regardless of any changes in monetary & fiscal policy.  The need for more & more energy will kill it.  According to Prof. Nate Hagens, in only the last 30 years we humans have used more energy than in the previous 5,000 years.  If we continue on that path, & with only 2% or so econ growth per year, in 50 years the energy required just to extract and/or capture the amount we'll need will make the whole scenario cost-prohibitive.  

Unknown, future new tech won't be able to help much because getting it always involves using more & more energy.  The solution to all this is adopting some version of a steady-state economy and dumping infinite-growth economics.  Much work is being done toward that end.   https://steadystate.org/ is only one of several non-profits which are dealing with it.  Have a look when you can.

2.  While he gives a slight nod to the Eco-Crisis, he doesn't seem to fully grasp the massive problems with not only climate change, but just as importantly, with soil degradation & erosion, desertification, fresh water availability, deforestation, worldwide toxic pollution, biodiversity loss, nuke contamination, over-harvesting and over-extracting of dwindling natural resources, overpopulation, ocean warming & acidification, the methane "bomb", and more in the eco-realm.  All of those together can collapse a society much more so than stagflation and supply shocks.  Without a sea change in our worldview, our ethics, and our metaphysics, they will...unless we overcome the neoliberal propaganda which has been rampant for the last 40 years.  

People say, "Well, it's deeply complex...it's all relative...it's complicated", etc.  All true, but none of that means we aren't facing multiple threats to our existence, or that Gov't is handling those existential threats well rather than kicking the can down the road, or that Tech will save us and preserve our pursuit of infinite growth.  

Bottom line:  it isn't just about politics, or economics, or climate change.  If we are to survive & thrive, almost everything must change.  People are anxious to "get back to normal".  The trouble with that is:  "normal" was/is the cause of the multifaceted mess we're in now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xr9rIQxwj4&list=WL&index=60

As a species, collectively we appear to be "energy blind" (from the clip immediately above) and wedded to the idea that the temporary "carbon pulse" will continue on for decades & decades more.

.....................

Not only my opinion.  Take Care

How Industrial Farming is Destroying Us, & How to Avoid That Scenario

 Factory farming is not only shortening our lives, but also is poisoning our ethics, our generic spirituality, and a large part of the entire natural Earth System (the interconnected hydrosphere-geosphere-atmosphere-biosphere).  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYacqSge9OY&list=WL&index=88&t=113s

At least watch the first 35 minutes, or at the very least, the first 15 minutes.

A sample of topics in this clip from The Land Institute:  a brief history of "back to the land"; how we produce and distribute food; monoculture v. polyculture; the herbicide Roundup (glyphosate) now in our bodies; techno-utopianism; climate change & other aspects of the Eco-Crisis; the problem with corn; perennial regenerative agriculture's challenges; how factory farming is destroying the "free market" economy; politics; power; genuine populism v. fake populism; and the general solutions to all these problems.

All of the above is a large part of the current, ongoing socio-eco-econ-ethical Crisis.

................

Not only my opinion.  Take Care

Hypothesis Number Two: It's likely the sincere people who are not concerned about...

our ongoing Eco-Crisis have such a view because they analyze and evaluate concepts by means of reductionism.  In that method of analysis, whatever is being examined is broken down into its constituent parts.  Each part is thoroughly evaluated separate from the others, and then the various parts are added together to determine some sort of conclusion regarding the whole.  Such a method can be extremely misleading when dealing with complex (not just complicated) systems.  Complexity is nonlinear.  [A motor vehicle is a linear system; it's "complicated", but the behavior of the "whole" is predictable by examining the individual parts.  Thus, it's not a complex system.]

Instead, for complex items (such as the Eco-Crisis, or even a single ecosystem, or a single living organism), the method of examination described in General Systems Theory should be utilized.  Why?  The approach used in Systems Theory (the updated version doesn't include the word "General") is holistic, not reductionist.  It uses synthesis rather than only analysis of parts.  It is aware of synergy:  a whole system is greater than the sum of its individual parts, which means the behavior of a whole system is unpredictable from the analysis of only its parts.

The above is true because a whole system produces emergent properties, or emergence.  Such properties are found in complex, self-organizing, dynamic, whole systems rather than in individual parts.  Emergence often is unpredicted, and a big surprise to people who adhere to reductionism.  Briefly, following are a couple of examples of emergent properties.

1.  The human body is a complex, dynamic, synergistic system.  It's made up of innumerable parts, from macroscopic to microscopic.  You may examine bones, or blood cells, or the stomach, or brain cells, or the heart, or the adrenal glands...but you will never find the emergent properties of anxiety, fear, anger, or love in those parts.  Only the whole "system" is capable of such.  [The human body produces many other forms of emergence.]

2.  A forest of hundreds of acres also is a complex, dynamic, synergistic system.  Examine a leaf, a strip of tree bark, a beetle, a squirrel, a clod of soil, or even a single tree...and you still won't find the emergent property of rainfall over a large area.  That rainfall often is the result of the process of green plant transpiration in all the trees combined.  Water is taken in by the roots, distributed throughout the plant, and a small portion of it is used to support individual cells of the organism.  The vast majority of it, however, is moved from the leaves to the atmosphere.  Depending upon various factors, it then can result in rainfall.  [Forests also produce many other forms of emergence.]

All ecosystems and all living organisms (even a bacterium) are complex systems.  Synergy applies, nonlinearity applies, and emergence applies.

The point being:  our Eco-Crisis involves complex, dynamic, nonlinear, living systems which only can be properly understood by taking a "systems theory" approach.  It's no wonder to me why people (of all kinds) using a reductionist, linear approach are perplexed, puzzled, and confused over the urgency of the Crisis.  They simply can't see it.  [I'm not talking about folks who see it full well, but are concerned only with promoting corporatism's greed.]

This little essay did not explain how to apply Systems Theory toward understanding and solving the socio-eco-econ-ethical crisis because such an explanation would take multiple, multiple pages.  Books have been written on the subject.  Google it.  Awhile back, I listed several of them on this venue when I shared the bibliography for my first book.  

In two parts:

   http://individualsovereignty.blogspot.com/search/label/Bibliography    In particular, especially see:  Lent, Jeremy 2021; and Ratcliffe, Jennie M. 2021.

With the holistic approach of Systems Theory, we can effectively deal with the present Crisis.  But, to be effective, we must ignore the propaganda coming from corporatists and their political puppets, and we must sway the sincere nonbelievers.

...............

Not only my opinion.  Take Care