From Modernity to After-Modernity (13)

Part 2. Theoretical considerations
Chapter 4. About societal governance and societal evolution



4.5. Five polarity-plays between individuals & society

I initially introduced the idea of polarities in my presentation of “The axioms of civilization”. It explains why China projects such an otherworldliness in the minds of Westerners whose own minds unconsciously form all their judgments and ideas to the tune of dualism. Later in my presentation about Consciousness” (01,  02,  03) I made the idea of polarity-plays, first explained in “The axioms of civilization”, the foundation of a broader approach than the narrow materialist view of neuroscience that is based on the brain-mind dualism. Neuroscientists believe indeed that the mind is a creation of the brain which then cranks out higher levels of consciousness. This idea is not wrong per-se but what is wrong is to make that idea the only thing there is to the matter. Other factors than the brain are determinant in the formation of consciousness like its interactions with systemic reality, with increased complexity, with reproduction, etc...

From Modernity to After-Modernity (12)

Part 2. Theoretical considerations
Chapter 4. About societal governance and societal evolution

Political theory has always addressed the exercise of power by referring to the opinions of European classical thinkers about that subject. Nowadays political scientists particularly focus on Modernity and the Nation-State which are also European constructs. With the globalization of the reach of capital, that was put in motion in the 70ths through the actions of various international organizations, that European model of political theory is being imposed all over the world as if it was the sole truth of the matter about things relating to political science.

But the fact is that Europe represents no more than 5% of the world population. Adding to that 5% the geographical extensions it imposed on natives, along the initial phase of merchant capitalism (1), this 'European cultural domain' still counts no more than 10% of the world population. A question then arises. Why is the field of societal governance, which is what political theory is all about, so blind to the historical experience of such great countries as China (18.8% of the world population) and India (17.6% of the world population) (2)?