Advice and Maxims for Inquirers

Use THEE to Investigate THEE

THEE contains itself and all investigations into itself.  It must do if its claim «to provide comprehensive coverage of psychosocial phenomena» is meant seriously. The identification, articulation and communication of THEE are unequivocally psychosocial phenomena. ClosedSo click for some examples:

  • Inquiry leading to THEE will use elements found in the Frameworks dealing with Inquiry-PH2, and must engage one or more Research Methods-PH'2.
  • Structuring of THEE will accord with one (or more) of the Approaches to Representation-PH'3.
  • If we must formulate properties of THEE elements to aid discussion, then «formulation» and «discussion» must exist somewhere in Communication-PH5

It is likely that the social recognition and acceptance of THEE depends on evolutionary Stages defined within an as-yet-unknown/unspecified THEE Spiral of Development.

There is no paradox here: THEE was always going to be discovered at this point in human history by somebody—as will eventually become clear with the power of hindsight. There is now an appropriate mental attitude and social tools in many societies to allow the acceptance and systematic study of a Taxonomy involving consciousness.

Accept that Inquiry is a Challenge

The process can be arduous and complicated: previous knowledge, personal bias, fixed values systems (cultural or chosen) and practical pressures all interact with current fads and academic scholarship to generate a confusing brew inside anyone's head.

The best results emerge from a collaborative process where scrutiny, dissection and formalization can take place over many years. In my own experience, formulations often go through many drafts following numerous initial sketches.

Nothing replaces having a go, but the following Closedmaxims may be useful:

Recognize the Work to Be Done

Develop a clear universal formulation of the function of the psychosocial entity or element in endeavour. Choose a suitable name that evokes this function in everyone’s mind. Identify related entities with which it might be confused, and use such comparisons to determine distinctive properties and relationships.

Use existing knowledge of THEE structures (e.g. of dualities, of Spirals, or Structural Hierarchies) to get validation and extend understanding of the domain. However, remain open to new discoveries.

Through discussion and repeated application in social settings, progressively refine and validate Frameworks so that your understanding and knowledge slowly accumulates.

Originally posted: August 2009; Last updated: 2-Feb-2014.