The Liminal Learning Portal

Consider the following critiques of our growing tendency to long for the indigenous: – There is always a risk of “appropriating” the indigenous cultures, meaning that the unique identities and expressions of these become part of our larger, commercialized systems, which in turn can harm the self-distinction and dignity of minorities. – If tribal cultures are fetishized, large swathes of majority populations will “want something” from them, and this something may not even be there to begin with. This can be excruciating and frustrating. – Our longing for the indigenous can often be expressed as “token” representation, either through musical …

– Greater collective intelligence will tend towards fewer people more deeply involved in more multi-perspectival and disinterested (because we select also neutral representatives) processes of deliberation in councils, with a greater emphasis on the quality of the communicative process. The development of new systems of governance are evaluated on the basis of collective intelligence, not “democracy” in and of itself. – Such councils will in turn create an increasingly complex meshwork of cross-influence, hence converging on a deeper and deeper coherence, without there being one central authority that forces them in line. – And such councils will be committed to …

The somewhat gruesome public spectacle of the ongoing Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial is only a case in point—whatever it is we’re watching, it is hardly a rationally organized process of finding the best solutions for healing of relationships, the restoration of personal dignity, and guidance towards desirable future behaviors. If we take these goals (relational healing, protected personal dignity, and behavior change in pro-social directions) as being the “rationally desired” outcomes of our judicial processes, it is difficult to see why the current consensus of criminal justice would be the best possible one. Whereas our legal systems do, …

The Metamodernist vision, its “Protopia”, is not one of a cosmopolitan “world state” or the like—not a monoculture, not a monolith. A “world state” would be as unsustainable as the colonial empires of yore. Instead, we need to go from the current “anarchy between states” as described by realist scholars of international relations to a “panarchy”—an ordered network within which multiple forms of statecraft can be experimented with, albeit within some basic planetary frameworks of human rights and ecological boundaries. As such, new self-definitions of “Ethnos” and “Demos” can be experimented with, as well as the emergent relationships between the …

On a very basic level, most observers agree that nationalism—in theory—can be harnessed for both ethically viable and pathological purposes. As a social dynamic, it is the same as what we call “patriotism”; it’s just that we tend to call it patriotism when it’s attributed to the perceived underdog and/or when the actions it brings about are viewed as positive. People get swept away in collective effervescence and pride, giving blood, toil, and tears for the national or patriot cause. And then after the “great historical events”, there is a sense of shared pride for the nation, a belonging, a …

Well, this was fun: The hitherto longest and most detailed summary/commentary/review of both books: The Listening Society and Nordic Ideology. Written by scientist, YouTube science educator, and aspiring sci-fi author, Thomas Harper: (further links in the comments) “The Listening Society” by Hanzi Freinacht – Summary and Review -authortomharper.comThe Listening Society gives an optimistic picture of how the problems facing humans – globalization, climate change, technology – can be overcome.

Is Integral Theory a “poisoned chalice” — wondrously made in some regards, but poisoned from within? Has it failed in its promise and become unusable? Bruce and Layman sit down with Daniel Görtz to discuss both the strengths of integral theory, but also the criticisms that have driven a number of people to abandon it — whether in rejecting it altogether, or in forming counter projects (Hanzi’s Metamodernism, various Integral 2.0 efforts), or just in the gradual dispersion of the “integral diaspora.” What is the future of the integral movement? Will it fade in influence going forward, or is its …

“The difference between the fake Rothko and the cryptopunk is that the latter is honest about its dishonesty and absurdity. It just builds on the craze and momentum of cryptocurrencies and found a niche in this market: If people are already investing in “just a piece of blockchain” — why not mint unique pieces of “just a piece of blockchain”? It just happened to find a way to “pass” as a currency, and thus as a way to “pass” as an art investment. It’s actually a lot like what Warhol himself did with the art world. He was entirely honest …

“In effect, the Scandinavian countries leapfrogged into a leading position in the modern world. This was a kind of “developmental” leapfrogging. They didn’t follow the paths of Britain, Germany, and France step by step. They learned from them and jumped right to a later developmental stage of their societies, cultures, and economies — creating societies that were in many ways preferable to those in continental Europe. At the present moment in history, a similar opportunity may be presenting itself to countries that never fully entered into the modern, industrial world on fair and equal terms. As global society shifts from …

“Learning capacity” could become a school subject throughout the years, actively and deliberately drilling and repeating tasks that pertain to learning how to learn. It is, naturally, hard to imagine a more boring subject: repeating speed-reading techniques, practicing memory, going through notes, structuring work plans. The very word “drilling” makes chills go up spines – and it sounds as though all has been forgotten about making education embrace more of the intuitive and playful. But drilling the capacity to learn may very well be a sound investment that ultimately pays off even in terms of fun and playfulness: if children …