The TD Object, the TD Subject and the Hidden Third

In general there are three TD terms: Object, Subject and the Hidden Third. These three terms are non-separable. TD studies how interactions of Object and Subject create new TK. Hidden Third represents connection between external/internal world and also between information and consciousness flow. Figure 11 shows how the three TD terms, and also levels of Reality and information/consciousness flow can be applied to SD.

TD Object represents external world which in SD terms could imply areas of ecosphere (environments) and economy i.e., physics, biology, economics, chemistry, etc. It is composed by physical elements in the environment without paying attention to relations between them, thus the meaning of the elements is excluded (it considers only the content of the elements). Dionysian values are focusing on this physical world.

TD Subject gives the meaning to the elements of the TD Object, i.e., the meaning from individual, political, social, historical point of view. It symbolizes human relations and relationships towards TD Object. In terms of SD, we can understand TD Subject as sociosphere comprising philosophy, psychology, anthropology, humanistic, etc. The role of SD is to provide new meaning to TD Object and to human activities. The human internal world, where consciousness flows, is a source of tolerance, justice and other Apollonian values.

32

Figure 11: Ontological interconnectedness of TD and SD

X

TD Object (Dionysian values – external world) TD Subject (Apollonian values – internal world) Flow of consciousness Flow of information L e v e ls o f p e rc e p tio n z o n e o f r e s is ta n c e L e v e ls o f R e a li ty zo n e o f re s is ta n c e SOCIOSPHERE Individual, political, social, historical ECONOMY & ECOSPHERE

Economics, environments (micro and macrophysical)

Hidden Third shared zone of non-resistance

Source: Adapted from B. Nicolescu, Manifesto of Transdisciplinarity, 2002, p. 155.

Knowing is not the same as understanding. You can only understand that of which you become a part, when the TD Subject that searches and observes becomes integrated with the TD Object. Most attempts to unify TD and SD have failed because of exclusion of the role of the TD Subject (also in the case of ecological economics). Individual and spiritual level of Reality and also the meaning of Apollonian values were here mostly ignored. For example, could we affirm that economic growth and environment (A and non-A) are opposites only at the biocentric level? Could such opposition be solved from the biocentric level of an ecological economics through which growth and environment (as complementary opposites) become a unified filed (Max-Neef, 2005)? It is most likely impossible, since ecological economics does

33

not take into account anthropocentric view (TD Subject) and the means of market economy (neoliberal capitalism).

Hidden Third plays a role of a mediating mechanism that links the TD Subject with the TD Object and makes it possible to unify knowledge necessary for developing holistic sustainable future. People’s experiences, interpretations, descriptions, representations, images, and mathematical formulations meet there in the form of TD Reality (Nicolescu, 2002). In addition, Apollonian and Dionysian values meet here in the zone of non-resistance which enables people to grow in terms of Apollonian values, that is, to reach new levels of perception/Reality. Essentially, the ethical dimension is a core of SD and without it SD is like fiction. Ethics, related to SD, encompasses at least three aspects: the moral relationship between humans and other currently living humans, future generations of humans, and non-human nature. There are not many people who deal with ethics (as philosophical discipline) in our society, because such a profile is unemployable. In current society, there are no such positions of employment, since the ethical dimension is not in the interests of neoliberal capitalism. Therefore, in our society, SD is like fiction.

Moreover, Max-Neef (2005) argues that the inclusion of Apollonian values distorts the efficiency of the market. Thus, it should not be surprising that efforts to overcome poverty tend to fail systematically. It is obvious that if Apollonian values, oriented towards the common good, are not made explicit, no policies coherent with the SD challenge can successfully be designed. For instance, the so called poverty eradication policies are, in the fact, not policies. They are rather mechanisms to stimulate economic activity, under the assumption that sole activation will point to the solution of the bigger problem. If equity and the components of the common good were actually specified, the assumed role of the market would be limited to that for which it is really useful and efficient, and not for the overcoming of poverty. As Adam Smith’s invisible hand is nowadays becoming more visible, not as only orientator of economic activity, but also as (in)visible human greed.

However, in the shared zone of non-resistance, people share their resistance to truth and join realities to generate comprehensive TK. Without the Hidden Third, it would not be able to integrate perspectives from different realities, e.g., economics with ecology. It would not be possible to integrate the Subject with the Object. It seems, that current mainstream “green reformism” is focused more or less on solutions related to the Object (technology and natural resource management) while ignoring the Subject and consequently moving away from the Hidden Third, which is, in fact, source of SD (see Figure 11). In the broader sense, Hidden Third enables the methodology for holistic and integrative SD conceptualization and implementation.

Classical physics assumes continuity, which means that, things cannot move from one point of space and of time without passing through all intermediary points. With other words, nothing can be skipped over; everything has to be continuous, with no interruptions. On the other hand, quantum physics assumes that moving from one territory to another does not require the boundaries to be actually touched. The mediate role of Hidden Third makes it possible to crate TK without being burdened by the disciplinary boundaries. Definitely, there must be a

34

place for disciplinary and interdisciplinary activities (based on continuity), while creating TK (based on discontinuity).

Nicolescu (2002) acknowledges that humans have always accepted existence of at least two realms of Reality – one visible and the other invisible. The Hidden Third is the invisible realm in TD ontology. The Hidden Third is mediator of the flow of information with the simultaneous flow of consciousness in a way that different minds can link and share information and perspectives. Without inclusion of the Subject it is impossible to imagine unity of DK, since without Subject there is no flow of consciousness. In environment, where the TD Subject is able to communicate with the TD Object, there is much bigger chance for a new knowledge breakthrough and for finding intelligent and intuitive solutions to complex SD problems.

When people overcome their resistance to differences or contradictions, it consequently lets them to cross levels of Reality and to realize other perspectives. The Hidden Third inherently lets people go of aspects of how they currently know the world; it is a place where people become open to other perspectives, ideologies, values and belief systems. Cole (2006, p. 13) understands Hidden Third as transition zone which “involves a breakdown in the laws and logics that hold in the person’s perception of Reality”.

There is no need to find what is “Real”, that what is valid forever, i.e., ultimate truth, since it is also hidden forever. Anyway, the unity of different levels of Reality can bring us closer to a holistic sustainable wellbeing, without passing through overwhelming devastating conflicts (see Appendix 6), but by passing through the Hidden Third. SD can be based on open and unified theory of levels of Reality. In current era, one can notice predominance of misplaced beliefs such as reductionism, binary logic and disciplinarity. TD does not oppose them; it rather gives them a new meaning.

In document TRANSDISCIPLINARY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (Page 37-40)