Glossary

Aphanipoiesis is a term coined by Nora Bateson to describe a learning process that resides mostly in the subconscious. Her "possible definition" is "(1) (n.) An unseen coalescence toward vitality; (2) (n) A coalescence of experience becoming unseen." It also can be thought of as the set of processes, of which we are rarely aware, that develop specific ideas by making connections or relationships to other ideas, experiences, and so forth. Metaphorically, it is like a stream gurgling just beneath the surface, but which may rise to the surface of our conscious awareness. The gurgling along, moving rocks and sand, and providing whole ecology for various creatures, or ideas in this case. Aphanipoiesis shares much in common with the Buddhist notion of alaya, which describes a kind of storehouse of ideas and which is often described as a subconscious stream of ideas from which we pluck our latest thought to obsess upon. However, aphanipoiesis is not consciously directed and may share some of the randomness of alaya, but is used to describe how ideas develop over longer periods of time, such as when we read something that seems important, but we really don't understand it at all deeply. But, a year or more later, we may encounter some idea that sparks a connection to the earlier idea, which re-arises as a more fully developed understanding. SEE Nora Bateson's article on aphanipoiesis in Medium.

Complexity, for the purposes of this website, refers to a slightly different view of what is called "complexity sciences." For the work here on Passionate Meanderings, complexity refers to the whole of living and social systems, which is included in the complexity sciences, but differs by focusing entirely on living things and their social contexts. Complexity is typically referred to as a set of recursive and nonlinear processes that provide ways for organisms to maintain, regulate, replicate, repair and even transcend themselves (SEE autopoiesis in this Glossary). Complex or complex systems represent understandings of the living world that are pretty much the opposite of the big three paradigms that have dominated thinking ever since René Descartes established what we now call Positivist, Reductionist, and Mechanist views of the world. (SEE Positivism, Reductionism, and Mechanism in this Glossary.)

"Context" is a bit of a slippery term, which is due in part to its variety of meanings. The American Heritage Dictionary's definitions of "context" barely scrape the surface:

• The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.
• The circumstances in which an event occurs; a setting.
• The part or parts of something written or printed, as of Scripture, which precede or follow a text or quoted sentence, or are so intimately associated with it as to throw light upon its meaning.

In addition to the American Heritage Dictionary's definition, context can refer: to the physical setting; to the social setting; to political circumstances; to economic circumstances; to cultural settings and/or cultural knowledge, beliefs, etc.; to personal health circumstances; to one's own psychological state, circumstances, etc.; workplace circumstances; to a particular period of historical or contemporary time; to one's own epistemology or knowledge and meaning; and so forth. However, in most cases, context describes a larger set of information surrounding a particular person, group, organism, object, or idea. The terms "frame" and "framework" are often used interchangeably with context. But, both of these terms seem to refer to narrower and more focused set of information than "context."

Double Bind is a term coined by Gregory Bateson and his psychologist colleagues (Don D. Jackson, Jay Haley, and John H. Weakland) to describe the contextual issues at play in many patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Fundamentally, an individual or group of people or other organisms encounter a double binding situation, when two or more contexts present an untenable situation, where there is not apparent resolution or escape from the untenable situation. However, double binds are not temporary situations that pass over a relatively short period of time. They are situations that continue over time, and present consistent contradictory messages and metamessages. A classic example is of a mother who tell her child she loves him or her, but at the same time recoils and withdraws all affection. Another example is of a dog and its owner, who encourages the dog to play with other dogs, but who immediately yells at the dog for biting, which is actually play biting and a normal and necessary part of playing. In both examples, this pattern of contradictory messages continues and is often elaborated upon with other contradictory messages.

Bateson, G. (1972/2000) Steps to an Ecology of Mind. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. -- Part III of this volume focuses on double binds.

Epistemology - The standard view is that epistemology is a branch of philosophy that is concerned with the study of knowledge. This study of knowledge is concerned with the larger human context of accepted knowledge, and its depth, extent, and nature, as well as what is not possible to know. However, many of the authors here align their use of the term epistemology with Gregory Bateson's usage. Bateson used this term to describe the context and nature of an individual's knowledge, as well as the context and nature of the shared knowledge of a social group. Bateson discussed epistemology at length in two of his books: Steps to an Ecology of Mind and Sacred Unity: Further Steps to an Ecology Mind, which was compiled and edited by Rodney Donaldson. Bateson and his older daughter, Mary Catherine Bateson developed more cohesive view of epistemology in Angels Fear: Towards an Epistemology of the Sacred.

• Bateson, G. (2000). Steps to an ecology of mind. University of Chicago Press.
• Bateson, G. (1991). Sacred unity: Further steps to an ecology of min (R. E. Donaldson, Ed.). A Cornelia & Michael Bessie Book/Harper Collins.
• Bateson, G., & Bateson, M. C. (2005). Angels fear: Towards an Epistemology of the Sacred. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

Mechanism arose from the work of René Descartes, Isaac Newton, and others from that period of time (17^th Century) during which science began to transform civilizations. This particular contention was that all living things were just like machines and operated on the same scientific concepts and principles. All of these concepts and principles were based on linear cause and effect patterns that were highly predictable. (SEE: Positivism, Reductionism, Complexity.)

Although Positivism had its roots in early Greek philosophy (i.e., from Plato and others), René Descartes and others firmly established it as a pillar of scientific thinking during the 17th Century. It was a major break from the superstitious beliefs that were ubiquitous up to this point in time. Positivism contended that there was one objective truth that could be described through scientific methods, as well as through rigorous reasoning and logic. Auguste Comte more or less cemented in the positivist paradigm during the early 1800's. (SEE: Mechanism, Reductionism, Complexity.)

Reductionism maintains that all phenomena -- non-living and living things; problems; ideas; etc. -- can be understood by understanding all of the parts. Commonly, this particular approach is often referred to the ability to understand the whole by understanding the sum of its parts. (SEE: Mechanism; Positivism; Complexity.)