Wonderful essay, a great way to start my week, learning from bees and wise cultures. Thank you for great research and beautifully told stories and references. Looking forward to reading Chris La Tray’s book
Hi, Jim, thanks for dropping by. Social order that is achieved through coercion is definitely on the despotic side. However, it is possible for things to work relatively smoothly in social relationships when people offer respect and reciprocity to each other, and this kind of order is built on and maintained by people's ability to move and associate freely.
My thinking about order goes to different places than yours. I’m a longtime student of Chaos Theory and Complexity Theory. In addition, I see few “smooth” social relationships based upon order but based upon asymmetric power.
Just different visions of the universe. What you may see as a straight line, I may see as a small section of a curve.
Jim, do you read many Indigenous thinkers? Seeing my own society through the lenses of Indigenous writers showed me that though human relationships are messy the asymmetry and power imbalances that characterize Western history are not universal. We can choose differently. Highly recommended: Vine Deloria, Shawn Wilson.
I love bees so this was very interesting! Thanks, Priscilla.
Here are a couple thoughts/questions that are “buzzing” around my mind. 1.) How do non-Western cultures make decisions? Like some of the African societies that you mentioned? 2.) Do you know of any groups in the U.S. that use a different a different method for making decisions?
Hi, Morgan, these are great questions! Different communities around the world have used many different methods. Some have councils of elders. Some emphasize moral goodness in leaders. Some use a circle of circles, where the large group is broken down into smaller ones, and a representative from one group is always present in another. Some use divination to consult with the unseen wisdom or ancestors or beings of nature. There are so many systems! If you look up decision making in the recent university encampments you will find interesting things. Same if you dig a little into the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Thanks for your questions!
A rather brilliant essay. Thank you.
Thanks for your good words, Katherine! Feel free to let us know more about what resonated with you.
Wonderful essay, a great way to start my week, learning from bees and wise cultures. Thank you for great research and beautifully told stories and references. Looking forward to reading Chris La Tray’s book
Research R Us! 🤣 Thanks, Sally, for letting us know it resonated. Have a great week!
Order is an attempted justification of despotism.
Hi, Jim, thanks for dropping by. Social order that is achieved through coercion is definitely on the despotic side. However, it is possible for things to work relatively smoothly in social relationships when people offer respect and reciprocity to each other, and this kind of order is built on and maintained by people's ability to move and associate freely.
My thinking about order goes to different places than yours. I’m a longtime student of Chaos Theory and Complexity Theory. In addition, I see few “smooth” social relationships based upon order but based upon asymmetric power.
Just different visions of the universe. What you may see as a straight line, I may see as a small section of a curve.
Jim, do you read many Indigenous thinkers? Seeing my own society through the lenses of Indigenous writers showed me that though human relationships are messy the asymmetry and power imbalances that characterize Western history are not universal. We can choose differently. Highly recommended: Vine Deloria, Shawn Wilson.
I love bees so this was very interesting! Thanks, Priscilla.
Here are a couple thoughts/questions that are “buzzing” around my mind. 1.) How do non-Western cultures make decisions? Like some of the African societies that you mentioned? 2.) Do you know of any groups in the U.S. that use a different a different method for making decisions?
Hi, Morgan, these are great questions! Different communities around the world have used many different methods. Some have councils of elders. Some emphasize moral goodness in leaders. Some use a circle of circles, where the large group is broken down into smaller ones, and a representative from one group is always present in another. Some use divination to consult with the unseen wisdom or ancestors or beings of nature. There are so many systems! If you look up decision making in the recent university encampments you will find interesting things. Same if you dig a little into the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Thanks for your questions!
Thanks for the starting points! I’m still thinking about this, consensus, and more. 🐝
🎶 Music to my ears! Let us know where your reflections take you.