N. Arthur Coulter, MD
As every schoolboy knows, geometry is based on a number of fundamental statements called axioms and postulates. Indeed, all of mathematics is so based. These were once regarded as self-evident truths, not requiring proof, more recently they tend to be regarded simply as basic premises, the truth of which is assumed and from which the truths and theorems of mathematics are logically derived.
Mathematics is one of the most remarkable achievements of the human mind. The elaborate and beautiful structure of ideas that mathematicians have developed is truly awe-inspiring. Their success has led workers in other fields to emulate them, with results that have not always been as impressive.
Physical science is very much like mathematics and indeed uses mathematics as a language and tool for analysis. Physical theories such as quantum mechanics often have an axiomatic foundation. But physical science differs from mathematics in that its theories are subject to the discipline of experiment. A physical law is a general statement to which no exceptions have yet been observed. If an exception is found, the law is abandoned, and a new, more general statement is derived. Again, the success of physical science has inspired emulation, which often has not been equally successful.
In dealing with the human mind, or with systems involving human beings and groups, the paradigm of physical science has one serious defect: there is no place in it for human values. Moreover, it tacitly assumes that a human being is a passive entity whose behavior is entirely controlled by laws that can be observed. But a human being is not entirely passive; he is also an active agent who can observe that he is being observed and respond out of pure devilment in unpredictable ways just to confound the observer. And a human being does have values and purposes. This inevitably makes a procrustean bed of the physical science paradigm when it is applied to man.
I hope the reader will pardon this obstruse excursion into the labyrinths of epistemology; it was done for a purpose. The purpose is to provide some explanation for the somewhat unorthodox approach to a science of synergy that I believe to be necessary. I love mathematics and physics and indeed have devoted many hours to their application to biomedical problems; they definitely have a role to play in biology and medicine, and indeed their role is even today inadequately appreciated. But something more is needed where the human mind is concerned.
This has led to the concept of the heurism as playing a role in synergetics analogous to that of the axiom in mathematics. Synergetics is based on an evolving set of heurisms. These may be regarded as synergic self-fulfilling prophecies. As proposed by Merton, a self-fulfilling prophecy is a belief regarding a social situation which leads an individual or group to act as if the belief were true, with the result that other individuals or groups affected by such action also respond as if the belief were true, thus reinforcing the belief. Thus, if group A believes group B to be hostile, group A may act in such a way that group B responds in a hostile way, even though it was not hostile to begin with.
A synergetic heurism is a general principle or proposition which, when accepted as a basis for action, leads to the emergence of synergy. The proposition itself can neither be proved nor disproved; facts against it can be marshalled as readily as facts in support of it. A decisive experiment cannot even in principle be designed to prove a heurism true or false, because one or more human beings are involved. If they know of the heurism being tested, they can interpret it as true or false and act accordingly. If they do not know of the heurism, the experiment is not decisive, since it omits a vital component of the system being tested. A synergetic heurism has the additional property of being a synergic self-fulfilling prophecy, i.e., one that conduces to the emergence of synergy. Thus, its adoption as a basis for action tends to evoke synergy-synergy that might not otherwise occur.
Here, then, are the heurisms of synergetics thus far adopted.
1. Analytical Principle. Optimum development of the rational (analytical) mind of a human being will occur as a result of the rational application of knowledge about that mind to its own development.
This may appear to be a somewhat roundabout way of stating the old Socratic maxim: “Know thyself.” It asserts that knowledge about a human mind is of key importance to its development. But knowledge alone is not enough; it must be rationally applied for the purpose of developing that mind. There must, in other words, be synergy of knowledge and application.
As stated, the Analytical Principle may sound rather abstract on the one hand, and perhaps rather obvious on the other. But it has a very important practical consequence, which may be stated as corollary: the individual’s own rational mind can solve all its own problems. If a problem is not solvable as stated, the rational mind discerns this and restates the problem in solvable form. This heurism and its corollary are basic to many of the synergetic techniques described in this book.
The Analytical Principle is also basic to a process of “bootstrapping” a human mind. The more a mind knows itself, the better is it in a position to apply that knowledge to its own development. The more such an application is done, the greater the capacity of a mind for knowing itself. Thus, another corollary of the Analytical Principle is: the human mind has the capacity to transcend itself and to do this repeatedly.
This heurism, like the other heurisms of synergetics, is basic and general; it has a potentially infinite variety of applications. Some of these will become evident in later chapters of this book. At this time, the reader may wish simply to meditate for a while on this principle, letting it filter through the many layers of his mind.
2. Synergic Principle. Synergy of function is promoted by regarding all processes of experience as potentially of value to the individual.
In other words, anything that happens can be useful. This means, for example, that even so-called “bad” emotions such as greed, lust, hate, envy are potentially of value. They are the repressed and undeveloped indicators of potentially new abilities.
An advantage of this principle is that it establishes a basis for integration. No part of a human being need be absolutely condemned.
If a part of an individual is rejected by other individuals, or rejected by himself, then he may adopt a belief that he is “bad” or “inferior.” The Synergic Principle provides a new outlook, enabling a person to accept these “bad” parts and to initiate a process of development. Sooner or later, he changes.
Again, it is suggested that the reader meditate on this principle for awhile.
3. Staging Principle (Principle of Metacognition).Any work method requires some basis, or stage, upon which to proceed. The stage chosen exerts a profound influence on the phenomena that are produced, and all such phenomena will tend to take a form that fits the stage chosen.
This means that any approach to human development works-up to a point. If a person is studying yoga and practices the techniques of yoga, the resulting phenomena will tend to arrange themselves to conform to the basic teachings or assumptions of yoga. If a person decides to undertake psychoanalysis, or transactional analysis, or encounter group training, or synergetics, a similar process tends to occur. The stage determines the form in which phenomena appear.
But it also follows that there is no universal stage. Furthermore, a given stage may be optimum for one person at a particular phase of his development, but not for another.
From a heuristic standpoint, this principle suggests the concept of multiple staging. the use of several stages rather than a single stage as a basis for a work effort. Since only in rare instances will a single stage be optimum for an individual, the use of several different stages is likely to be more effective in the long run than confinement to a single stage.
The effectiveness of multiple staging is enhanced when the several stages are synergic with one another. The various work methods of synergetics have been designed with this in mind.
4. Absolute Uncertainty Principle.The only absolute certainty is that there are no absolute certainties. This has deliberately been stated in paradoxical form for dramatic emphasis. A more exact statement would be: The only absolute certainty is that there are no absolute certainties, except the absolute uncertainty principle.
A scientific law or a mathematical theory, in the light of this principle, may be regarded as having a high probable truth value, say, .9999998, where 1 represents absolute certainty (never achieved). Suppose a proposition is regarded as absolutely certain by a particular mind. That mind is closed permanently as far as that proposition is concerned. If it later turns out that the proposition is not true in some cases, such a mind will be led into error; worse, it will be unable to detect or correct the error. On the other hand, if the proposition is accepted as having a high probable truth value by a mind, that mind will be able to deal adequately with the occasional error. This is an extreme situation. The more usual one is where a mind accepts a proposition as absolutely certain when in reality it has only a moderately high probable truth value.
The synergic value of the Absolute Uncertainty Principle is that it keeps a mind always basically open, always searching, always evolving.
5. Principle of Synergic Efficacy.In the long run, a synergic approach to a problem or situation involving humans is more effective than a dysergic approach.
A dysergic approach may gain a temporary advantage; this is one reason why such approaches are so often used. But a dysergic approach sets in motion counterprocesses that must be dealt with sooner or later.
A synergic: approach on the other hand, may sometimes be slower or require more immediate effort; but it does not evoke counterprocesses.
When an individual or group is reactive in mode, decisions or actions are usually dysergic and set in motion counterreactions by those affected. A syngeneer may on occasion be reactive in mode; but if instead of reacting and producing dysergy, he first of all traverses to synergy and then deals with the problem or situation, his action is usually more effective in the short run and does not evoke counterreactions, which would otherwise tie up time, effort and thought in the long run.
An exception to this principle should be noted. In an emergency, actions that evoke counterreactions may be taken, which are necessary under the circumstances. Even here, however, the principle applies: after the emergency is over, steps may be taken to eliminate the dysergy that has been produced and to promote synergy.
6. Principle of the Natural Synergy of Man.Human beings are naturally and basically synergic.
The existence of dysergy in human individuals and groups is not denied, but it is explained as being caused by acquired patterns that are not an essential or basic part of human nature.
To put it differently: synergetics belongs to those schools that hold that man is basically “good”; that “evil” in man is something that is acquired and can therefore be eliminated.
Admittedly, this proposition can neither be proved nor disproved; and there are individuals and situations to which it can be applied, only with difficulty. But if the principle is rejected, or if its opposite is accepted, the possibility of synergic development of humankind is foreclosed. It is like going into a game convinced you are going to lose; what’s the use, then, of trying?
Acceptance of the principle, on the other hand, does not mean a denial of the existence of dysergy; but it always keeps open the door to the possibility of eradicating dysergy and achieving synergy. In particular, it is exemplified in the remarkable finding that a person functioning in the synergic mode is naturally ethical; that if he at any time acts unethically, he inevitably experiences a “mode drop.”
7. Principle of Synergic Grasp of Synergetics.Application of synergetic ideas and tools by a person or group is most effective when the person or group has a synergic grasp of those ideas and tools.
The person who has an excellent grasp of theory but is all butterfingers in practice is well-known to all of us. Conversely, a person may know how to fix things or to make things or even to run things, but without any real understanding of what he is -doing or why. In other words, there are at least two kinds of, knowledge: conceptual grasp and practical know-how.
But there is a third kind of knowledge available that results from a synergic comhination of conceptual grasp and know-how. This is called synergic grasp; and it constitutes a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
One emergent of this synergic whole is the phenomenon of thinkfeel synergy. When a person has synergic grasp of an idea or tool, he becomes imbued with an extra-awareness—an awareness of the enormous range of potential applications of the idea or tool—a range that far exceeds the immediate purpose for which it was designed. Accompanying this awareness, there is an appreciation of the tremendous potential value of the idea or tool, which in turn fills the individual with enthusiasm-what Pasteur called the “inner God.”
A synergic grasp of synergetics will clearly enhance the effectiveness with which it is used.
These, then, are the basic heurisms of synergetics, as it has thus far evolved. They are stated in abstract terms whose relevance to concrete human problems and situations is not immediately evident. They do, however, provide a foundation upon which the structure of ideas and tools described in the rest of this book has been erected. They also provide a basis for the application of synergetics to other fields of human endeavor. Furthermore, in any particular field of application, problems sometimes arise that are not manageable with the existing set of ideas and tools. Such problems require the creation and development of new ideas and tools. These heurisms are useful in such situations.
Finally, it should be emphasized that other synergetic heurisms are possible, which the reader may wish to introduce. This is encouraged, the only suggestion being that care be taken to ensure that a new heurism be synergic with those given here.
For convenience, the heurisms are repeated below:
1. Analytical Principle. Optimum development of the rational (analytical) mind of a human being will occur as a result of the rational application of knowledge about that mind to its own development.
2. Synergic Principle. Synergy of function is promoted by regarding all processes of experience as potentially of value to the individual.
3. Staging Principle. Any work method requires some basis, or stage, upon which to proceed. The stage chosen exerts a profound influence on the phenomena that are produced. and all such phenomena will tend to take a form that fits the stage chosen.
4. Absolute Uncertainty Principle. The only absolute certainty is that there are no absolute certainties, except the Absolute Uncertainty Principle.
5. Principle of Synergic Efficacy. In the long run, a synergic approach to a problem or situation involving humans is more effective than a dysergic approach.
6. Principle of the Natural Synergy of Man. Human beings are naturally and basically synergic.
7. Principle of Synergic Grasp of Synergetics. Application of synergetic ideas and tools by a person or group is most effective when the person or group has a synergic grasp of those ideas and tools.
Also see:
What is the Synergic Mode of Thinking?
Modes of Thinking
Human Synergetics
The above passages are taken from Arthur Coulter’s Synergetics: An Adventure in Human Development. It will be published online early in 2002 by The Time-binding Trust.