Vision & action

September 4th, 2006 Robert Bosman

Ideas reign the world; not the emperors, not the kings,
neither the generals nor the CEO’s, but the ideas.

The focus of our society over the past three or four centuries has been: knowledge and science. And with impressive results. One of these results is that our world has become a small world. And that within a very short time span. Problem is, that our human ideas, that have been formed not only over thousands of years, but also in thousands of mostly isolated societies, didn’t integrate that fast at all.

And it is that process of integration of ideas that is now on its way. And very often this integration is more a clash than a nice process. Christianity clashes with the Islam. Science confronting common sense… and the other way around. Global companies in a fight against all kinds of local action groups. And so on, and so on. On a deeper level, however, it still is the turbulence caused by the integration process, a process that’s on its way for several thousands of years. A lot of people worry about it and think it is so much worse than ever before. But who reads Cicero for example, knows that about the same threads were alive about 2000 years ago.

We’ve to realize, that every man made thing and circumstance, starts with an idea. Stop reading for a moment and look around you at the place where you are at this very moment. Look at all manmade things, and you’ll realize that they all started with an idea, even the smallest. It’s the same with our society and with the state of the world as a whole.
So, it are the ideas that reign the world; not the emperors, not the kings, neither the generals nor the CEO’s, but the ideas.

Every new thing starts with an idea. Next comes the ‘thinking’: we’re going at work with the idea, transforming it into plans, sharing it with others, judging and feeling are involved, calculating, reading. And finally were going to execute these plans, we’re just doing it! Phase 2 (thinking) differs so much form phase 3 (doing); it’s only by doing that the whole previous process translates into visible results. The original idea crosses the border between the visible and the invisible, and goes from the mind into the physical world. And then, when the ‘doing’ is ended, we may see the results of the original idea. Results in itself are more than the end of a process; they’re the phase of use and maintenance, and often also of celebration or regret…

So the human order of creation is:
1. idea 2. thinking 3. doing 4. result

These is a short representation of ‘the 4 causes’ of Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC). The first 2 phases may be called VISION and the others ACTION. If vision and action are not aligned, there are no results, but chaos. Only the synergy of vision and action may bring good results. Depending of the quality of the underlying ideas of course…

So, what Aristotle is teaching us, among others, is that everything in visible, action world (in science often called the explicit order) has is ’causes’ or roots in the invisible vision behind it (the so called implicit order). In easier words: everything has a deeper reason, a deeper cause. When we see the clashes of our time, it’s wise when we not only look after the facts and certainly not only try to change them… In contrary, it’s better to look after the deeper causes, the way of thinking and the deeper causes. Only when we are able to create a change on that deeper level, a sustainable change may occur. And only then!

Vision without action is dreaming.
Action without vision makes one tired…

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Entry Filed under: Practosophy