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  • From: Niels Corfield <mudguard@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>, Andy Goldring <andyg@permaculture.org.uk>, leeds_permaculture_network@yahoogroups.co.uk
  • Subject: [permaculture] Perhaps Ken Wilber has the inside track? Re: Rhizome culture
  • Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 17:33:51 +0100

Ken Wilber gives a very compelling argument on this matter in his book A Theory of Everything (T.O.E.)

He uses the models formulated by Developmental Psychology, for example /"The Spiral of Development".
/In this model there are 8 levels of thinking or "memes" each represented by a colour, rainbow ones not your dualistic black and whites.
Here he states quite clearly that those people operating at a "green meme" (/relativistic pluralism)/, the highest level of first-tier thinking, inherently rejects the /formal rationalism /of orange (green's subordinate) and the hierarchies of it and further subordinates (Blue's social-, and Red's power- hierarchies).
This is most likely the meme of most of our heritage.
Green's critique of orange and previous memes also closes it from further development, for as Wilber puts it we must encompass all previous modes of thought in our current one.

Anyway back to the topic.

As comfort for those uncomfortable about hierarchies, the model's concepts of /second-tier thinking/ (Yellow, /Integrative /and Turquoise, /Holistic/) stipulate a necessity for hierarchies. Or the assimilation of hierarchies to construct holons (the building block of a holistic world view).
That said the hierarchies in these cases are /nested/. Rather than dominant or linear. As in the physical domain, for example, organisms are made of cells, that are made of molecules, that are made of atoms, that are made of protons etc. And the same in ecology.
Again we return to /holons /(or wholes): each holon is composed of other (if you like "subordinate" or more fundamental) wholes/parts. So a whole quark is part of whole proton, a whole proton is part of a whole atom..........you get the picture......right the way up........... to the whole Kosmos (the universe/totality).

At a second-tire level, Added to this integration of hierarchies there is the further development from Green to Yellow "Differences and pluralities can be integrated into interdependant, natural flows. Egalitarianism is complemented with natural degrees of ranking and excellence." Wilber T.O.E. pg 13.

So, if permaculture is operating at a second-tier level, which it very well looks like, then it's assimilation of hierarchies and other modes of thought/operation are concurrent with the model.

For example: Green says: "All hierarchies are bad". Yellow integrates them. So perhaps permaculture is Yellow, with turquoise in ascendance, when practised well?
That is why there is little admissions made for Green characteristics like: consensus descision making, and cognitive processing limited to lateral-linking (heterarchies).
In second-tier consciousness there is power to think /both /vertically and horizontally, using both hierarchies and heterarchies (ranking /and /linking).
Which surely is a pre-requisite for good permaculture practice.

This I think very much concurs with Fukuoka's philosophies:
Organic farming (as an extension of scientific farming) is Orange by nature, constrained by it's paradigm of reductionism, materialism and rationalism
Whereas /Natural Farming /is a second-tier state. Where natural processes provide the order, around which the design (permaculture) or farm (Fukuoka) is "dressed".
Only through "_true observation_" (or "deep perception") of processes, natural and human (and human-natural) can the design/farm be fully realised.
And only by using second-tier consciousness can, I believe, this deep perception truly be achieved.

And let us not forget that Fukuoka was "/living /the talk" long before Mollison was in print and that Mollison's paradigm contains much that is Orange (/Scientific Achievement) /in nature (books divided into chapters, separated into subjects, subjects seprated into sciences, eg soils divided into "constituents": physical, chemical, biological)
.............but then good second-tier thinking (memes) must incorporate and celebrate all previous memes (/even /Orange)...........................................................and Mollison's books are just books....................and he's just a man...........and permaculture is just an idea...................................................and permaculture's not /everything/.......................................but it's /part/ of everything ;-)



Ultimately, much of this comes from Daniel Quinn. More directly, where I
picked it up from, would
be Jeff Vail and his memetic theory of power. Somehow, all of this seams
similar to understanding
the Tao Te Ching. We have text after text saying these things, giving words
for the concepts, yet
it sometimes takes making a nuisance of oneself to finally get it. From
finally understanding the
nature of the problem, so to speak, the conundrum of "what to do" posses
itself. On this, few
agree.

Distinguishing between rhizome and hierarchy cultures from the Quinn
perspective:
Rhizome, or Leavers believe "We belong to Earth".
Hierarchy, or Takers believe "the world was made for man and man was made to rule
it"

Permaculture within the context of Hierarchy keeps me up at night.
Fortunately, the two pose a
paradox. Some of the Quinn inspired discussions can be found at
anthropic.com , as Toby has
mentioned and participated over there. Other Quinn inspired activity places
permaculture in the
realm of "intentional foraging" and provides incite into so called "primitive
culture", as Toby
has discussed at anthropic.

Currently, many more hearts and minds have crossed over than lifestyles. We
have the realities of
hierarchy to consider in how we, as individuals, follow our hearts and minds
to the other side,
beyond civilization. Many of us reject wealth in an effort to enjoy a simple
life and run from
the problem at the same time. Unfortunately, wealth is required, so that
land can be secured and
then improved. With reclaimed land, we can begin to provide place without
labor strings attached
for the wayward and the homeless. With more reclaimed land, we can then
transition the struggling
burger flippers into an easier, healthier lifestyle. As the burger flippers
and bum disappear,
the foundation of the hierarchy fails (hierarchy needs you to feel
threatened, so work without
questioning). With no wayward and struggling masses, there can be no army to
come take our land
back from us. With no "one way" for destabilizing the labor base, the
hierarchy can not fight
back. One or two rhizomes won't make it. This must be a global movement to
be effective.


-Sean.

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