I believe the most challenges of our time is result from the failure to understand the value laden aspects of Life itself. Life itself needs a huge variety and harmonization. The many different societies are like different cells in the larger organism of unity. Each society has it’s own coherence. However, too often people have different criteria for coherence. Some societies are seen as analogous to cancer cells needing to be destroyed. Finding ways to harmonize and utilize that variety creates a healthy body/world. However, not being aware of the possibility of harmonization we resort to violence and destruction.
In this moment, what are you aware of? It is certainly not restricted to sensory input. If you only believe in what you can touch and measure, you are disconnected from primary knowing based on connectedness of all life. Your intuitions and feelings are telling you all about this connectedness, unless you choose to ignore it. In your holistic awareness of the moment, there are three distinct interwoven value domains. Each value requires a different way of knowing.
The three distinct domains of value are: Intrinsic, Extrinsic and Systemic described as follows:
“Living entities” that are self-defining, self-valuing and self-acting. Any interaction with a living entity will produce results beyond our expectations and, perhaps, beyond our control. Living entities are valued intrinsically; living entities must be valued for their own uniqueness; that is unconditional loving, “beholding.”
“Things or parts” are passive. They cannot violate forces of nature. Otherwise we can control what they do. Things are judged extrinsically by comparison to other members of the class concepts to which they belong, i.e., chairs or jobs, any concept.
Structures and rules that are invented by us. They are invented to provide order, reason, agreement and the possibility of creativity. Since we invent them, they are what we say they are. We judge them by applying them to our experience and then judging them as to whether or not they work, judging them as right or wrong. This is the domain of systemic values.
Now begins valuation leading to harmonization-valuation using all these value ways of knowing. These ways of valuing have evolved and are passed along as inherent “living” abilities to use, develop as navigation tools in process living. Acts are evaluated as good and they are experienced as “effective acts or not.” Acts that fulfill intentions of an “actual occasion” are experienced as successful because they bring all three dimensions together in harmony, in hierarchical alignment with Intrinsic, the aliveness being highest. When dealing with numbers, systems of ordering, the use of Systemic valuing need to be in support and in relationship to higher values. Systemic inventions made without relationship to higher Intrinsic “Aliveness” making is like using a rudder that is unreliable. It makes no sense without the living engagement.
So let’s play with how to use these value skills and knowing. Join me for forming conversations. Contact me at skye@jitcc.org. to participate.