Consciousness of a Nation (Sociology)
Channel: Math 4 Wisdom
Date: 2024-03-29

In what sense does a nation have consciousness?  Philosopher Andrius Kulikauskas presents his theory of consciousness in terms of 3 minds and 8 mental states.  Sociologist Aslam Kakar overviews the various meanings of consciousness, their relevance for human clans,  and various ways of thinking about a modern nation.  What follows is a discussion with many insights.  This was a meeting of our Math 4 Wisdom Sociology Study Group, which Aslam leads.
https://www.math4wisdom.com/wiki/Sociology/Welcome

Our question was inspired by our ecotechnologist Jere Northrop's Relational Symmetry Paradigm, his efforts to understand consciousness in the universe.  Jere was present. He leads our Math 4 Wisdom Language of Wisdom study group.
https://www.math4wisdom.com/wiki/LanguageOfWisdom/Welcome

1:07 Andrius considers Jere's distinctions between atomic, aggregate and universal consciousness. Consciousness as a property of a system that we can interact with through language. 
6:30 Andrius's theory of consciousness.
11:40 Andrius's study of the epistemology of sociology, distinguishing an ethnographic view, an economic view and a policy view.
15:50 Signs of consciousness of a nation.
25:30 Aslam distinguishes 5 meanings of self-conscoius as in "Origin and evolution of human consciousness" by Fabbro, Cantone, Feruglio, Crescentini
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0079612319300615?via%3Dihub
30:30 Distinguishing social levels in Homo Sapiens: mother-child dyad, extended families, bands, clans or villages, communities.  
36:00 The modern world since 1914. Self-determination movements. Nations gaining independence.
42:00 State-nation vs. nation-state. Primordialism, constructivism, instrumentalism.
50:00 Applause. Comments by Andrius.
54:05 Indrė Gajdosikienė. Mother and child are one with two different bodies. Feeling safe, loved. Impossible to think of ourselves as being separate from others. Post-totalitarian trauma.
1:03:00 Daniel Friedman. Ant colony as a test case for theories of consciousness.  Epistemic value (reducing uncertainties) vs. pragmatic value (trimtabbing).
1:05:30 Samuel Hutchens. US election year group think. Consciousness is shut off. Would like consciousness to manifest.
1:10:35 John Harland. What is the role of violence and non-violence in nation building? Is non-violence credible? 
1:13:45 Aslam spent six years on this! Strategy of resistance by oppressed ethnic groups, Pashtuns in Pakistan, Kurds in Turkey. Agentic (awareness) vs. structural (oppression) analyses.  A protest movement can be effective when it overlaps with a regime, as in Serbia.
1:21:55 Edmundas Kulikauskas. Is the world changing for the better?
Investigating the different kinds of states.
1:24:25 Kirby Urner liked the readings. "Language and national consciousness" by Hugh Seton-Watson, 1981. "The origins of national consciousness" by Benedict Anderson, 2006.  Can we have modern nationalism without modern media?  Ethnicity as a dream-like fictional state. Nations as prisons vs. diaspora nations. Creating landless, diaspora nations.
1:29:20 Jere Northrop. Interacting with each other to form conscious organizations. What is the role of language and consciousness?
1:32:15 Indrė. What is "We"? How does that form? Andrius: Individual consciousness may go down when national consciousness goes up.
1:36:40 Samuel: Stygmergy of ants. Personal freedom within social fabric. Is nature totalitarian? Are we savage primates? Hybrid organizations, efficiency of a hive mind, personal agency of primate.
1:41:05 Aslam: Violence as act of aggression intended to harm a living being. Erich Fromm, "The Art of Loving". Escaping ourselves.
1:44:50 Jere concludes with prayer. We are all conscious, have language, recognize each other in this spirit. We just have to keep that in mind.

Recorded on February 8, 2024.

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