LECTURE ABSTRACT – by J. A. Scott Kelso
This lecture comes in three “movements” and arises out of a new book (Kelso, J. A. S. & D. A. Engstrom, The Complementary Nature, (2006 MIT Press).
The first movement explores the central role of ubiquitous “contrarieties” in the history of ideas (both in philosophy and science). We refer to all such contrarieties as “complementary pairs” and introduce a novel syntax with which to interpret them.
The second movement explores a possible basis for complementary pairs-their formation, persistence and change-in the science of coordination dynamics (e.g., Jirsa, V.K. & Kelso, J.A.S., Eds., Coordination Dynamics: Issues and Trends, Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, 2004). Coordination dynamics reconciles the notion of states (e.g. brain state, mental state, behavioral state, etc) with the notion of preferences and tendencies. In particular, it shows how complementary pairs such as integration~segregation, convergence~divergence, competition~cooperation, individual~collective, etc. emerge as coexisting tendencies of the coordination dynamics. Coordination dynamics also provides a putative mechanism called metastability for the creation~destruction of functional (i.e. meaningful) information.
In the third and final movement two research strategies are described, namely the “complementary pairs of coordination dynamics” (CP of CD) and the “coordination dynamics of complementary pairs” (CD of CP).
These strategies are now beginning to be employed as a way to discover and invent, as a didactic tool, and as a path toward cross-level and cross-field reconciliation.
ASSC8 abstract - Complex Systems and Brain Sciences Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida, 33432, USA
3 Responses to “ASSC8 – The Complementary Nature”
I have to share that this is maybe my favourite book ever!
I put off reading it because I was a bit worried about whether it would have mathematical arguments beyond my capacity, but you’ve written in such an easy and engaging way that it’s like having a conversation with you in my living-room. Thanks so much for this book – all sorts of thoughts are spinning around in my brain as a result!
Thanks Dr Karen. Thanks for the lovely endorsement of The Complementary Nature! We would like to use it on our home page, hopefully to encourage people like you to get a copy and read this book, as its concepts, messages and lessons apply to and can be used by everyone to gain new insights and perspectives of their own lives and loves.
We encourage you to explore The Squiggle Sense Blog, a dynamic blog-in-progress dedicated to the human sixth sense of the complementary nature.
please feel free to comment on the posts and pics, and sign up for TSS RSS feeds at the top of the home page.
Sorry for the delay — didn’t realize you had answered me…
Delighted my words were useful (and I even damped down my enthusiasm so as not to be overwhelming!)
You may of course use them in any way useful for encouraging more readers.
I agree that this is a message everyone needs to Get. Would love to talk more about this with you, but can’t quite figure how to contact you less publicly…is that a possibility?