So why focus on such subjects as ideology and institution with so much intensity? Well, in this phase of human history, we are seeing worldwide turmoil that seems to be curiously connected by nature. And upon inspection, much of this turmoil seems to be generated by empire: an empire with its identity tied to a constellation of ideas grows in power and seeks to expand in global space. As its power grows, it becomes even more certain of the absoluteness and greatness of its ideas and identity, even though these things are inevitably constructed and transient. As power meets opposition, a dual reaction: its opposition is crushed and alienated, and in turn given to resent; faced with this resent, power itself fractures and becomes divided against itself, even as it struggles to maintain dominance, giving birth to self-reflective and metacognitive thought.
Self-reflective thought (perhaps its most extreme expression can be found in postmodernism) as a value-creator and a code to live one’s life by may be bankrupt; at least at this late stage when what is needed is creative action, but it also makes for a fantastic tool to conduct autopsies on failed ideological systems and corresponding modes of behavior. It is the mode of thought that emerges as the thinker pulls back from the illusions of prescriptive ideology and begins to judge any and all ideas by their mechanics and their origins. A quick illustration: Self-reflective and metacognitive thought can be utilized to understand why the metaphorical car broke down so that one may generate a better one in the future.
Unfortunately humanity often neglects taking action to improve the collective vehicle until it completely breaks down. Can’t we encourage constant self-reflective/metacognitive thinking and benign revolutionary thought? This is probably a pipe dream of course. We’ve been through cycles like this throughout history and we seem to learn many lessons but forget many more as we hurdle forward. Nevertheless, it would be a useful ideal to strive towards.
Putting our metacognitive and self-reflective skills at work, let's consider our current state of affairs in practical matters. At this frustrated point in history, we see that sitting back aloof and viewing things cynically does no good. We find that not only do ideas matter, but power and centralized power’s hold on a certain collection of ideas matters, and this can have a dramatic affect on what ideas in general materialize in the real world. So the time comes to take a stand. For the oppressed, or those sympathetic to the oppressed, that means associating with values that stand in contrast to those of the oppressors, and trying to understand how to implement those values on a practical level.
But then another question arises. Aren’t these values relative in nature? Aren’t they merely a product of an emotional reaction to the values of an oppressor we don’t like? How far can we take our values to build our own society before we become the oppressors? Some of these values should be absolutes: the respect for the life and dignity of all human beings is a value that comes to mind. But then mediating values, or values that we adopt to strive for those absolute ends are less clearly established. Do we give priority to the individual or to the collective? What if the importance of these values is contingent on historical context?
The notion of respecting individuals and collectives are both important notions, but they can also be at tension with one another. Oftentimes they must be carefully balanced. If at a certain point in history we find ourselves trapped inside what we deem to be a malevolent collective where individuals all place an emphasis on that collective, then certainly a reverse emphasis on the importance of the individual is necessary. But if we find ourselves at a point in time when certain individuals wield too much power, even if they exist within a collective, and members of that collective emphasize the importance of the individual, we may need to emphasize the importance of the collective, lest forces generated by clashing over-powerful individuals rend the fabric of that collective.
When we begin to understand the waxing and waning of these historical forces, and the accompanying value systems, we begin to understand that we as a living organism experience changes as a body, changes that are in a continual feedback loop with the individuals that constitute the body itself. We are all systems within a system, in a constant feedback loop with it and ourselves. So ideology and reflection, or skepticism, are both historical forces we use to correct ourselves in order to make ourselves as a system more advanced yet stable.
Ideology as a force can generate thrust. It has movement. It prescribes change in the face of a social reality generated in the real world. In an unstable, charged world, ideology is necessary. And so skepticism diminishes that thrust, especially useful when a given ideology has gone too far and produced a social reality we don’t want.
Important to note: these forces have inertia. We continue on believing what we believe even as the underlying system itself is changing due to the force exerted by our convictions. Reason itself is not a monumental force. Reason proceeds from emotionally and contextually generated values as logical extension. And so we must pay careful attention even to the most basic assumptions we hold and the realities that those assumptions are generating.
All this on top of the very fact that the constitution of our consciousness is changing even as we try to reason! The Internet is in the process of dramatically changing the way we think, communicate, and organize. But then these changes can be conceived to be either permanent, as in a linear change, or simply temporary, as in a cyclical change. Yet more layers of thought to consider.
With these issues in mind, it is now quite valuable to think about what we think about and what we believe. Thus, metacognition becomes extremely important and valuable. Hopefully it can keep our thoughts clear and true, and our more prescriptive opinions reinforced, yet humbled. Posts with the tag “Purpose and Metacognition” will seek to explore these issues.
