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The Methodological Value of the Biocosmology Initiative and Its Contemporary Implications for the Construction of a New Civilization
Xiuhua ZHANG1, Jingyuan LIU2
Методологическая ценность Биокосмологической Инициативы и ее современное значение для строительства новой цивилизации
Сюхуа ЧЖАН, Цзиньюань ЛИУ
ABSTRACT. Facing the difficulties of modernity from the environmental pollution, ecological degradation and human existent crisis, humankind is once again standing at the crossroads of death or survival. Undoubtedly, addressing the scientific community - the Biocosmology Initiative issued by the Biocosmological Association, in order to reiterate the stance, principles, modes of thought and methods of the Neo-biocosmology, possesses important theoretical value and practical significance. The Initiative has illustrated its own naturalistic standpoints of organism, holism, generative theory and theory of process, highlighted the dialectical and relational thinking, proposed some interpretational principles of the Neo-biocosmology, led in the perspective of historicism and the approach of theory of practical activity, so that it has manifested the meaning of methodology of scientific congnition. Meanwhile, From the core viewpoints of the Initiative, the worldview of the Neo-biocosmology, as a new cosmology of organism, has not only deconstructed the radical anthropocentrism of the Anthropocene, but also affirmed the ideas of the "a community of life for man and nature" and "a community of shared future for humankind". Thus, the Initiative will help to promote harmonious intercourse and interaction between man and nature, man and man, and national countries, and help to realize human sustainable development and construct ecological civilization. Moreover, it can further help to acquire a win-win situation for achieving the unity of "making things" (making new beings, cheng wu and "shaping human beings" (cultivating new ecological
individuals, cheng ji ^B) in the course of practice. Therefore, the Initiative has the contemporary implications for constructing a new civilization at its beginning.
Keywords: modernity, Biocosmology Initiative, Biocosmological Association, Neo-biocosmology, methodology, value, significance, new civilization, ecological civilization
Fund Project: This research was supported by the Major Planning Program of Chinese National Social Science Foundation (Grant No. 21ZDA019).
1 China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, CHINA.
2 The International Research Institute for the Eastern and Western Cultures, Lexington, MA, USA.
Contents
Introduction
1.The Methodological Significance and Value of the Initiative
2. Contemporary Implications of the Initiative for the Construction of a New Civilization Conclusion
Introduction
The rage of the Covid-19 pandemic, the outbreak of limited war, and reverse globalization in particular, have not only led to the intensification of conflicts between man and nature, but also caused new changes in the mode of human interaction and international relations. In the face of prospects unseen over a century and the new wave of the technological and industrial revolution, human beings are once again standing at the crossroads of death or survival. A choice must be made to get rid of the plight caused by modernity so that human civilization can continue and develop sustainably. It is in this historical context that we are delighted to see the extraordinary action taken by the Biocosmological Association (BA) to propose Addressing the scientific community -the Biocosmology Initiative (hereinafter referred to as the Initiative) to the entire academic community [BA, 2021, pp.146-157]. The Initiative unearths thoughts of the ancient civilizations of the East and the West, bringing Aristotle's organic cosmology, the theories of changes and the yin-yang in The Book of Changes and the wisdom of the Upanishads to the contemporary era and back to life, actively responding to the arguments of modern Russian naturalistic scientists and Whitehead's organic philosophy. It also reemphasizes the theoretical contributions of the founders of the Neo-biocosmology, thereby reaffirming the stance, principles, modes of thought and methods of Biocosmology. Therefore, the Initiative has not only the methodological significance of scientific cognition but also the contemporary significance of constructing a new civilization at its beginning.
1. The Methodological Value and Significance of the Initiative
In a broad sense, methodology refers to the modes of thought and thinking logic of analyzing, reflecting on, understanding, evaluating and expressing problems, which are implied in the concepts, categories, viewpoints and theoretical systems contained in a philosophical worldview, including theoretical stances, methods of thought, principles of interpretation, perspectives of investigation and
paths of research, norms of assessment, and rule of value. Undoubtedly, the Initiative has important methodological significance and value embodied in the following dimensions.
Firstly, from the perspective of theoretical standpoints, the Initiative declares that its worldview is the Neo-biocosmology (new cosmology of organism). It is determined by the theoretical standpoints of naturalism, organicism, holism, generative theory and process theory. Moreover, the Initiative states that "the real world is a Single (one whole) natural Dynamic Living Biocosmos" [BA, 2021, p.147]. In this way, the real world is regarded as a unity from the perspective of holism, but this unity is not a collection of mechanist disparate elements, but a natural and living existence, embodying the standpoints of naturalism and organicism. Similarly, treating the actual world as a dynamic organic whole distinctly expresses the generative and procedural characteristics of the actual world, and unwaveringly demonstrates the theoretical stance of the "theory of process" and the "theory of becoming".
If the holistic and organic standpoint in the Initiative has developed the teleological organic holism of Aristotle, which contends against the Plato's transcendentalist metaphysics of the theory of ideas, the stances of the theory of becoming and the theory of process are not only consistent with Lao Tzu' s thought that "Tao engenders One, One engenders Two, Two engenders Three, Three engenders the ten thousand things" [Lao-Tzu, 1993, p.42] but also with the process thought of the founders of constructive postmodernism represented by Whitehead, Peirce, James, and Bergson[Griffin,1993]. Both Lao Tzu and Process thinkers maintain that the cosmos is inexhaustibly generating, moving, transforming and evolving in the process.
Secondly, from the perspective of modes of thoughts, the Initiative criticizes the traditional thinking of binary opposition, namely dichotomy between the subject and the object and emphasizes the thinking of dialectics and relations. Modern rationalist metaphysics has established the subject-object dualist mode of thought, which is either centered on the subject or the object of nature. In the subject-centered process of cognition, the subject is on the active side while the natural object is on passive side, emphasizing the vital role of the subject in cognitive activities. Thus, the perceptive and intellectual ability of the subject, and such mind-related factors as consciousness, cogito, reason and spirit become the key to cognition. The other process of cognition is centered on the objective nature and the object of knowledge, and neglects the initiative and creativity of the subject in the cognitive activities, even to the degree that such empiricists such as Locke consider the mind to be a blank slate. It emphasizes the primary role of sensory experience in cognition and thus becomes a passive theory
of reflection that appeals to contemplation and intuition. Obviously, both the rationalist conception of the innate idea, according to which the mind is regarded by Leibniz as a patterned marble, and the empiricist epistemology have their own theoretical limitations as two opposite poles. In this regard, Kant appeals to his "synthetic a priori judgement" and has transcended the limitations of rationalist analytical proposition and the empiricist synthetic proposition. In this way, he has completed a Copernican-style revolution in epistemology by integrating congenital and acquired empirical factors, transformed the conflictive thinking of binary opposition and moved towards the approaches of synergy and synthesis in the view of totality. Hegel's speculative dialectics relies on the "double movement" of the subject, and goes through the process of developing from thesis to antithesis, thence to synthesis in which contradictions arrive at reconciliation. Hegel has thus established the dialectical mode of thought, dialectics of totality and process thinking imbedded in of organic holism.
An obvious feature of the Initiative is that it advocates the deconstructing of the dichotomous mode of thought, and utilizes inclusive and pluralistic dialectics of totality. It regards the antithesis of the two opposite poles in the process of cognition as an essential stage, from which the synthesis and identity of knowledge can thus be guaranteed. This is not only the totalistic dialectical but also the relational mode of thought because the opposite polarities are two aspects that reflect the properties and characteristics of the single entity, one can not be chosen at the cost of the other. The two poles are regarded as necessary steps in the process of cognition and are dialectically united through the process from "duality" to "trinity". Therefore, the relationship between the opposite poles is not isolated and external but organic and internal as both serve as the elements and steps of the total process of cognition.
Thirdly, from the perspective of interpretive principles, the Initiative puts forward several principles supporting Neo-biocosmology, such as Biopolarity, Triadicity, Circular Cyclicism. Quaternity and Pentavalence. Among them, the principle of Biopolarity refers to the "unchanging existence of two opposing centers (poles) of the integral life organization in a subject" [BA, 2021, p.147]. In other words, although the two poles are opposed to each other, they are unified in the same subject, establishing the ontological foundation of the existence of the two poles and reflecting the organic holistic stance and the internal relational mode of thought. In terms of the principle of Triadicity, "the poles are united into an integral life organization through an essential and unchanging (homeostatic) center, the only one capable of interacting synchronously with both poles" (ibid.). This principle logically contains the principle of Biopolarity, which emphasizes the principle of subjectivity and the autonomous abilities of the subject such as self-differentiation, self-coordination and self-
organization. It embodies the living characteristics of the organism and conforms to the biocosmology. The principle of Circular Cyclicism, that is, "the dynamic natural alternating dominance (poles and center) in the organization of a subject's holistic life" (ibid.), shows the dialectical movement of the self-expansion of organic living subjects. Each cycle enriches the subject and makes it more real. The principles of Quaternity and Pentavalence further present the interaction between the various components of the organism and the dynamic mechanisms of the development of real-life individuals.
Finally, from the perspectives and approaches of researches, The Initiative shows the view of an organic cosmos of naturalism from the perspective of ontology and it discloses the theoretical defects from the perspective of scientific epistemology. In addition, the Initiative investigates the activity of scientific cognition following the theoretical approach of the interaction between subject and object, regarding cognitive activity of truth as a process rather than pure static perceptual intuition. In a sense, it has introduced the research perspective of historism and the research approach of the theory of practical activity.
Thus, there is a turn from the "view of truth revealed" by torturing nature to the "view of truth from practice" through interaction between human beings and nature or relevant life individuals. Just as Whitehead has opined in his Process and Reality [Whitehead, 1978], nature never opens itself to mind, so we have to make the shift from Kant's "critique of pure reason" to the "critique of pure feeling", and the subjective feeling consists of the two poles of the "physical feeling" and the "intellectual feeling" or mental prehensions of conception and proposition. For Whitehead, there is no causal relationship in the world if it does not have the "actual occasions" or "actual entities" as empirical subjects with their own self-feeling, self-becoming, self-creation and self-realization process. That is, the present actual occasions always come from their own past in the perspective of history.
Thereby, for Whitehead, the past "causal logic" is shifted to the "causal efficacy" in bottom-up and top-down two approaches. The former is an interpretation approach of reductionism of Aristotle's naturalism, and the latter is another interpretation approach of humanistic value of Plato's transcendentalism.
Unlike Whitehead, though, the Initiative selects the interpretation approach of naturalism of organism and stresses bottom-up determinism as well as the positivity and creativity of life individuals. In other
words, it acknowledges the decisive effect on the growth and development of living individuals by the environment of subjective activities, and at the same time, gives due consideration to the ultimate concerns and intentionality of life individuals.
2. Contemporary Implications of the Initiative for the Construction of a New Civilization
The Initiative possesses not only methodological implications as discussed above, but also significant implications for the construction of a contemporary ecological civilization.
On the one hand, the organic cosmological worldview, as expressed in the main ideas of the Initiative, intrinsically relates each living individual to the whole environment, which helps deconstruct radical anthropocentrism of the Anthropocene, and makes people consciously aware of the meaning and value of natural environment for living individuals. In this sense, it also helps to oppose the extreme of self-centered individualism, and pays attention to the impact of individual actions or survival practices on the environment and the community, so as to maintain a healthy interactive relationship between the individual and the community, and to alleviate the current conflicts between man and nature, man and man, as well as man and society under the capital logic for seeking only economic efficiency.
On the other hand, the Initiative's basic value proposition has been in agreement with the ideas of "a community of life for man and nature" and "a community of shared future for humankind" put forward by China's president Xi Jinping. These "two communities" have been proposed in the context of China's vigorous promotion of ecological civilization, in accordance with the idea of sustainable development and the human-centered scientific concept of development.
The core idea of the "a community of life for man and nature" is that human beings and nature must be understood in the context of the community of life as a whole, with an emphasis on the organic inner relationship and kinship between human beings and nature in the community of life. We should consciously maintain a harmonious relationship between human beings and natural environment or the whole ecology for realizing human sustainable development. Moreover, people, as life individuals and practical subjects, have to select clean technologies, low carbon and environmental-friendly technologies and opt for the way of green development, in order to get rid of the dilemmas of modernity such as environmental pollution, ecological deteriorating and existent crisis.
The statement of "a community of life for man and nature" reaffirms ontologically the co-existence
and interaction relationships between human beings and nature, with the understanding that the death of nature will lead to the death of humanity. Axiologically, the statement emphasizes again the significance and value of nature and eco-environment for human existence and development. Hence, people should respect the law of nature and the physical properties of things, revere nature and preserve the ecological environment as well as the earth homeland of the earth in the course of their production activities which change nature. After all, "mountains of gold and silver are not as valuable as green hills and clear waters".
The idea of "the community of shared future for humankind" further highlights the conception of the organic wholeness, and it transcends "civil society" and looks after the human destiny at the level of "the human society" in line with Karl Marx [Marx, Engels, 2009, p502].3 It cares for the issues of how to better resolve the challenges of human existence and sustainable development, how to get rid of the dilemmas of modernity resulted from industrialization and technological advances, so as to construct a future civilization. In fact, only when people in different countries come to realize that they are closely related in their destiny and share weal or woe, will they give up violence and war, and cutthroat competition in international interactions, seek instead cooperation and win-win situation, and promote peace and development, the two main themes of our times. Meanwhile, humankind as a community of shared future means that various nation states should resolve hand in hand the conflict between human beings and nature, and shape together the developmental patterns of low carbon, green and tolerance in order to construct the postindustrial and ecological civilization.
Therefore, we can conclude from the above analysis that the Initiative's acceptance and confirmation of the concept of "two communities" will help to reach a wider consensus and promote the construction of a new civilization at its beginning.
Conclusion
In a word, with its new organic cosmology (or neo-organicist cosmology), methodology and ideas of relationships between real-life individuals and community, and between human beings and environment, the Initiative will undoubtedly help to construct contemporary ecological civilization as a new mode of civilization, to elevate civil scientific quality and engineering quality, to actualize
3 See Marx's Theses on Feuerbach. Karl Marx distinguishes the "civil society" and the "human society", and puts his own philosophical foothold of new materialism on the "human society". See Collected works of Marx and Engels. Beijing: People's Publishing House, 2009, p. 502.
the effective fusion of scientific spirit and artisan spirit in the development of innovation [Zhang, 2022]. It can further help to acquire a win-win situation for achieving the unity of "making things" (making new beings, cheng wu and "shaping human beings" (cultivating new ecological
individuals, cheng ji ^B) in the course of practice. After all, the thorough worldview of organism is not equal to naturalism, for it holds that the artificial world must be organically and harmoniously embedded in the whole ecological system in order to realize a green and sustainable development by responsible and ethical production.
References
Aristotle. Complete Works, ed. by Jonathan Barnes. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991. Biocosmological Association. Addressing the Scientific Community - the Biocosmology Initiative.
BIOCOSMOLOGY - NEO-ARISTOTELISM, 2021, vol.11: pp. 146-157. Aristotle. Physics, tr. by Li Zhen. Shanghai: Shanghai People Press, 2005. FENG, Guochao ed. The Book of Changes. Beijing: Huaxia Press, 2017. Lao-Tzu. Tao Te Ching. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc, 1993, p. 42.
Marx, Engels. Collected works of Marx and Engels, Vol.1. Beijing: People's Publishing House, 2009, p. 502.
Griffin, David Ray. Founders of Constructive Postmodern Philosophy: Peirce, James, Whitehead,
andHartshorne. State University of New York Press, 1993. Whitehead, Alfred North. Process and Reality, ed. by D. R. Griffin. New York: The Free Press, 1978. Zhang, Xiuhua. The Practical Fusion of Scientific Spirit and Artisan Spirit. Guangming Daily, 2022.4.4: 07.
