N-main

“We are living in a period of extraordinary danger, as we are faced with the possibility that our whole species will be eliminated from the evolutionary scene. One necessary condition of successfully continuing our existence is the creation of an atmosphere of hope that the huge problems now confronting us can, in fact, be solved—and can be solved in time.”

(Margaret Mead, Continuities in Cultural Evolution, 1964)

I am proposing a way to correct an error.

Which is buried deep in our culture's foundation; and forgotten in its distant history. Reported problems and error—including discontinuities in culture's evolution and non-sustainability of global trends—need to be seen and comprehended as consequences of this single fundamental one. In what follows I'll share a carefully developed plan to correct this error; which is already in implementation; and I'll invite you to join me in bringing it to fruition.

The strategy I am proposing is to institute academic transdisciplinarity.

I make this proposal concrete by offering knowledge federation as a complete prototype of the transdiscipline; ready to be examined, instituted and put to use. When I'll want to point to the different way of seeing that knowledge federation makes possible—that it enables us to see things whole—I'll call it by its nickname holoscope.

The knowledge federation proposal does include a realizable vision of a better world and a way to implement it as its proof-of-concept application; which is called holotopia. The gist of it all is that once an erroneous way to see the world has been corrected—a radically better evolutionary course will be seen and followed. Or to use this simple formula:

Holoscope leads to holotopia.

When we see the world (not through the telescope, or the microscope, but) through the holoscope—a way to radically improve the human condition, and future prospects, becomes transparent.

This website is intended to complement my book called Liberation, which will soon appear in print—and present evidence, by telling entertaining short stories called vignettes. Here I want to share knowledge federation's academic essence; not by spelling out the details, but by pointing to the overall structure—and letting you fill in the details; by browsing through the book; and by participating in the public dialog the Libetion book will ignite.

Margaret Mead

In the book I call myself an "academic fundamentalist", with tongue in cheek. The fact of this matter is that I've been trained as a theoretical scientist and a mathematician. I am highlighting this because—in contrast with my informal and sketchy manner of speaking—it is only when you see that there is nothing whatsoeverhypothetical in what I'm saying, that it's all conceived like mathematical axioms and theorems—that you'll have understood me correctly. Indeed, all of knowledge federation follows from this simple axiom:

Knowledge must be federated.

Which is not even an axiom in the usual sense of this word—it is not assumed to be true—but conceived as a convention of language; and as part of my definition of knowledge, and of knowledge federation. What it means it is that we can only say that something is known, and call it knowledge, if it's supported by evidence; if it resulted from a concerted effort to find and consult all relevant evidence; and also, and importantly—when it's reflected in everyday awareness and action.

Knowledge federation is the result of work of many excellent people.

The reason I am speaking to you as I do, in first person, is to allow myself to be controversial; and to be personally accountable for what I'm about to say; and also, because I want this to be an outcry.

All historical appeals to institute transdisciplinarity have remained futile.

With stupefying consistency they remained ignored! And when we took over the torch—or as the case may be, this large boulder and began rolling it uphill—the same dynamic reproduced itself. And made it clear that our very first challenge—is to break the spell of the academic and other business as usual. Which is why I began this proposal as I did—by placing it in the context of our overall human and cultural situation at the turn of the millennium; and thereby highlighting that we must be courageous and resolute in action; that we have no time to waste.

In the remainder of this website I'll let knowledge federation introduce itself academically in its own manners of speaking; and in that way illustrate some of its techniques.

• In Federation through Ideograms I'll render the gist of this proposal in terms of four simple metaphorical images
• In Federation through Keywords I'll let you comprehend it more precisely, by highlighting and discussing a few of its custom-defined concepts
• In Federation through Prototypes I'll explain, by highlighting a few examples, how exactly exactly knowledge federation or transdisciplinarity can make the sort of difference that must be made
• Iin Federation through Action I'll explain the two steps that remain to be taken; which I am inviting you to walk with me together.

Dino Karabeg