a world of views: the cognitive development of the global brain

A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking

The sociotechnologicalsystem

Current situation

Values

Pragmatic perspective

Intelligence expansion

Sense-making

Cognitive agents

Cognitive development

Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society

Development of society

Mind of Society of Mind

Boundaries

Development of GB

Distributed governance

Principles

Points of discussion

References

A World of Views: the cognitivedevelopment of the Global Brain

Viktoras Veitas [email protected]

Weaver (David Weinbaum)[email protected]

Global Brain InstituteVrije Universiteit Brussel

June 27, 2014

Viktoras Veitas & Weaver (ECCO/GBI) A World of Views June 27, 2014 1 / 21

A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

How do we think about systems

Three interrelated perspectives:1 Factual necessity -based;2 Value -based;3 Pragmatics -based;

Social systems: value -based is most important.


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

The factual situation of a complex world

Hyper-connectivity;

Reflexivity;

Accelerating change;

Increasing complexity;

Increased fragility;


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

Values: what do we want

Open-ended intelligence expansion:

The determinant of the ’greater good’ and ’wellbeing’ of both of individuals and collectives at allscales.

Intelligence is (a working definition):

The progressive process of sense-making ofself(other) / environment/ universe;

Intelligence expansion is:

an increasing ability of sense-making.


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References


Two viable future trajectories:

1 Limitting complexity by top-down regulation.

2 Intelligence expansion and antifragile strategy.


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

Sense-making

Intelligence expansion ⇔ Cognitive development ⇔Sense-making;

Sense-making is:

A motivated, continuous effort to understandconnections (e.g. among people, objects, places,events etc.) in order to anticipate their trajectoriesand act effectively. [Klein et al., 2006, p. 3]

Aspects of sense-making:1 Identity and identification;2 Retrospection;3 Enaction;4 Ongoing;5 Reflexive;


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

Intelligent (cognitive) agents


Interactions between individuals + emergence ofindividuals;

A cognitive agent - a sense-making machine whichdoes:

1 Data compression;2 Filtering and forgetting;3 ’Bending’ the environment;

Correct unit of analysis is:

individual - milieu dyad;

Understanding process is more informative thananalysis of static properties of already individuatedentities;


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

The process of individuation = cognitivedevelopment = sense-making


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References



Balancing of the subject/object relationshipacross the boundary of an agent

A recursive cycle of:1 Being subject to sensory experience;2 Subject/ object differentiation;3 Holding an object;4 Manipulating the object;

Stages of the cognitive development = stableperiods of the process.


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

Sense-making ⇒ a worldview

A worldview is a gestalt perception in relation toself, others, society, and the cosmos at large;

Every worldview is essentially subjective anddepends on the choices of the agents sharing them;

A worldview is an integral system of sense-making;

The intelligence expansion is synonymous with theevolution of worldview;

A worldview emerges during sense-making anddefines the entity holding it;


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

Worldviews


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

A World of Views

Future world system as a distributed multi-scalednetwork of agents that embody a variety ofworldviews;

Requirements for a worldview:1 Diversity;2 Modularity;3 Openness;

A World of Views is a desired and plausiblefuture developmental stage of society


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

Cognitive development of thesociotechnological system


In the cognitive development on the scale of societywe relate to collectives as agents;

Cognitive agent: any actor possessing agentialcapabilities;

A process of individuation / sense-makingpunctuated by quasi-stable states;

The differentiating feature is the level of cognitivedevelopment;


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

Society of Mind and the Mind of Society

Complementary perspectives;1 A mind is a collective (Minsky);2 A collective is a mind (Burns and Engdahl);

The difference is a point of view;

Formal measure: information integration[Tononi, 2004];

Social institutions are:

Embodiments of worldviews;Products of continuous sense-making - cognitivedevelopment;


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

Formation of boundaries I

Evolutionary activity: differentiating object fromsubject + relating to it (integration);

Emergence of boundaries between collectives atdifferent scales;

Boundary: mediates two collectives operating atdifferent scales and embodies the sense-makingprocess;

Intelligence expansion across physical, biological, andpsychological and social scales;


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

Formation of boundaries II

The collectivity of sense-making is driven by:

Surrounding environment - collective of agents;The interaction of internalized objects within theagent

The interplay between these two aspects forms anindividual-milieu dyad;

The holding environment is as necessary for thedevelopment of an agent as its internalprocesses;


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

The Cognitive Development of the GlobalBrain

The evolution towards a Global Brain is a process ofcognitive development;

”Mapping” stages of development of the GlobalBrain;

Development of the Global Brain cannot happenwithout a development of humans, artifacts andsocial institutions;

Distributed governance in a world of views isthe next phase in the cognitive development ofhuman society;


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

Distributed Governance

An enabling environment and culture for thecognitive development of social institutions;

Distributed governance system needs to facilitate thefollowing functions:

1 Allow for the co-existence of diverse worldviews andsocial institutions;

2 Provide an effective medium of communication,dialogue and co-evolution;

3 Propagate successful experiments and containingfailures (antifragility);


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References


We do not provide specific recipes for regimes ofgovernance;

We formulate principles of the framework whichenables governance regimes to self-organize;

The Global Brain misses the encompassing milieu,therefore the development of its agential capabilitieswill be arrested beyond a certain stage;

The World of Views approach maintains multiplicityat the highest level, providing an ecology ofchallenge, co-evolution and differentiation necessaryfor open ended cognitive development;


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

Proceed at own risk


A World of Views

Viktoras Veitas&

Weaver

Introduction

Systemic thinking


Current situation

Values



Sense-making

Cognitive agents


Worldviews

A World of Views

Intelligent society



Boundaries

Development of GB


Principles


References

References I

Klein, G., Moon, B., and Hoffman, R. (2006).1. Making Sense of Sensemaking 1: AlternativePerspectives.IEEE Intelligent Systems, 21(4):70–73.

Tononi, G. (2004).An information integration theory of consciousness.BMC Neuroscience, 5(1):42.Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/

1471-2202/5/42/abstract.


http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/5/42/abstract

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/5/42/abstract

a world of views: the cognitive development of the global brain

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