Conceptual framework

 

Over the past decades, the interconnectedness and interdependence of the world and of different spheres of human activity has rapidly accelerated. The very sustainability and security of human life – at the planetary, regional, national and local levels – are under increasing threat, and can only be addressed through holisitic and systematic approaches at the level of thought and action. At this critical juncture, however, the intellectual tools for reading reality and orienting action available to humanity have become increasingly fragmented, are questioned and rejected by growing segments of society, and are often instrumentalized in the defense of particular groups or interests. As ideologies of unfettered material accumulation and modernization lose their power to command unquestioning faith, many people abdicate their intellectual capacities to the forces of consumerism and hedonism, dystopianism, extremism and apathy.

 

The Institute for Global Civilization considers that these increasingly acute crises in our environment, economy, politics, culture, intellectual life, morality and spirituality are expressions of a profound transformation in the collective life of humanity, as ideologies and institutions devoted to the interests of distinct and competing members of the human community, or to the development and management of restricted dimensions of human life, reach their limitations and break down in the process of the world’s increasing integration into a single planetary social system. At the same time, countless individuals, groups and governments are proposing new ideas and taking constructive actions that can contribute to the advancement of a world civilization that enjoys spiritual and material justice and prosperity. Under such conditions, IGC aims to contribute to develop a coherent conceptual framework that can guide the collective generation of knowledge of individuals and populations as they strive to contribute to the advancement of civilization.

 

 

Indeed, the intellectual challenge we face cannot be solved by the imposition of a simplistic ideology or formulaic prescription. The myriad theories, disciplines, cultures, sciences, religions and civilizations of the world, be they from the East or from the West, all have precious insights to offer on the human condition, on the nature of reality in its multiple facets, on the core values that should guide human endeavor, on the collective ideals that humanity should aim for, and on approaches to solve specific problems. All of these systems of thought can and should contribute to a global discourse on the advancement of human civilization – but all of them have their limitations, whether in terms of the domains they address or in terms of our current understanding and application of their basic principles. Neither the exclusive imposition of a single one of them, nor a purely abstract synthesis of them all, are acceptable or realistic solutions.

 

Instead of competition or uniformity, the Institute for Global Civilization believes that new insights and solutions can emerge from the collaborative process of engagement in discourse described above, breaking down barriers between theoretical, practical, philosophical, cultural and religious approaches; suggesting correlations between different systems of thought; and generating new insights and solutions. But such a discourse needs to be grounded in an evolving conceptual framework that addresses key issues pertaining to the ontological foundations, the ultimate purpose, and the methods and processes of social action.

 

The Institute for Global Civilization is currently exploring the following elements of such a conceptual framework, with an interest in engaging with the potential contributions of both the experience and thought of the Bahá’í faith, described by some Chinese scholars as the “religion of the future”, and of Chinese civilization in its ancient and modern thought and experience, as described by Abdu’l Bahá in 1910 as the “country of the future”. 

• Civilization  Ever since the onset of modernity, the concept of “civilization” has been the subject of heated debates and controversies. Is civilization based on tradition, on religion or on scientific development? Is civilization owned by specific cultures or nations? Is a “clash of civilizations” inevitable? The Institute for Global Civilization considers that the discourse on civilization needs to move beyond these dichotomies. What is civilization? What kind of civilization does humanity need? What should be the relationship between the material and spiritual dimensions of civilization? How can civilization encompass and transcend cultural differences? How can people become active and constructive participants in the process of the emergence of a civilization that encompasses all of humanity?

 

• Human nature How do our assumptions about human nature affect our vision for the possibility of individual and collective progress, the actions we take and the institutions we create to realize such a vision? How can our spiritual capacities be understood and nurtured? What are the implications of a spiritual understanding of human nature for the development of civilization? 

 

• Oneness Is it possible to aspire to a peaceful and harmonious world, society and families without deepening our understanding of oneness? What is the underlying oneness of reality? What is the organic relationship between diversity and oneness? What are the means by which unity can be nurtured and strengthened at different scales of social organization? How can we advance toward the oneness of humanity or datong? Understanding oneness is essential to creating a peaceful and harmonious world, society and families.  What is the relationship between oneness at the ontological and practical levels? What is the organic relationship between diversity and oneness? What are the means by which unity can be nurtured and strengthened at different scales of social organization?  How can we advance toward the oneness of humanity or datong, in alignment with spiritual principles (tianren heyi)?

 

• Justice  The yearning for justice is the root of many peoples’ desire to act to improve social conditions. How can justice be understood as a human spiritual capacity that can be nurtured, trained and applied by individuals, communities and institutions? How can justice be understood within the framework of oneness? What is the meaning and application of justice in the construction of a global civilization?

 

• Power  Building a civilization founded on oneness and justice requires universal participation. How can the capacity for participation be raised in populations of all social, economic, cultural, educational and ethnic backgrounds? How can such capacity be understood and channeled in ways other than contention and adversarial contests of power? How can we understand and release the spiritual powers of love, unity, justice, detachment, and service, among other virtues? How can such powers be enhanced and applied in the operation of social institutions?

 

• Knowledge  Human civilization advances through the generation, transmission and application of knowledge. What are the forms of knowledge that are required at the current stage of civilizational transformation? How can knowledge of the material and spiritual dimensions of reality (often named as “science” and “religion”) be understood as complementary? How can the process of knowledge generation and application unite conceptual thought and social action? How can the capacity for systematic knowledge generation and application be developed at the grassroots?

 

The Institute for Global Civilization explores these concepts in general terms and in relation to the specific fields of research and discourse of its collaborators. These include the methods and theories of academic disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, management, intellectual history and religious studies; as well as the concepts and wisdom accumulated in the scriptures and traditions of China and of the world’s ancient civilizations, philosophies and major religious traditions.