Sowing the Seeds of Hope: Rethinking Teams and Society Through Willism, Architecturalism, and Refactorism
We should be reaching out and taking each other’s hands, and I believe many people feel the same. However, we are failing to do so. Despite the fact that we have generally grown wealthier with time, it remains difficult for us to join hands.
Are we incapable of this? I don’t believe so. The proof is that people can join hands in small groups. It’s also fine if the group is slightly larger. However, when it comes to a community, society, or the world of a certain scale, it doesn’t work.
Is there a limit to our ability to join hands in a large and complex society? Is our wisdom unable to produce solutions? Must we overturn this society from its foundation?
I don’t believe so. No matter how complex or large, I believe we can always join hands. I also think we should continue searching for ways to do so, and I want to avoid rebuilding from scratch the society that has created this wealth.
In this article, I will share some ideas for future society.
Application of academia to society: I position the application of natural sciences as engineering (engineer), the application of humanities as art (artist), and the application of social sciences as leadership (leader). These people are experts who accumulate empirical know-how and skills while applying academic knowledge to real society. Some of them direct their knowledge and skills not only to economic activities but also to social activities.
Team building by a core team: First, these three fields join hands to form a core team. Engineers are good at analyzing problems and designing practical solutions. They play a role in extracting essential structures between various fields and providing a common language to promote mutual understanding. Artists have the talent to appeal to people’s hearts with creativity. They express and generate empathy for the charm of the common language and team philosophy. Leaders are passionate pioneers. They use their philosophy and common language to gather people and continue on the unexplored path. Around this core team, people with various skills and expertise will gather.
Available tools and directions: You can utilize modern tools and indicators such as AI, SNS, DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations), and SDGs. AI is a powerful translation and interpretation tool that transcends language barriers, gaps in knowledge between fields, and differences in values. SNS and DAO encourage open and fair collaboration regardless of location, time, status, or position. This should make it possible to realize a team that combines knowledge of natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and skills in engineering, art, and leadership. In addition, SDGs will serve as a guideline to clarify the team’s positioning and direction.
Importance of diversity and cooperation: There is not just one team. Various teams, big and small, new and old, high and low in ability, coexist emphasizing cooperation and harmony rather than competition. The existence of diverse teams allows many people to participate in a team if they want. From teams dealing with wide-ranging problems to those tackling local issues, each one shapes flexible and detailed activities from their respective viewpoints. This allows us to permeate every corner of society with a sustainable society where everyone has a place.
Approach from real society to interdisciplinarity: In tackling real-world issues using their skills and knowledge, teams centered on engineers, artists, and leaders will need deeper new knowledge. Therefore, along with specific designs and strategies, they propose interdisciplinary research to the academic world. Proposals based on demands from real society give momentum to interdisciplinary research. And the development of interdisciplinary academia contributes to the solution of social problems.
Vision for society: A variety of flexible and detailed activities by numerous teams created by combining these elements, and the rich wisdom created by the harmonious development of various disciplines, will transform the Earth into a powerful, beautiful, and hope-filled “forest”.
As the philosophical mainstays of the aforementioned approach and vision, I propose the following:
Principle: Willism
A philosophy that respects individual will, enabling the harmonization of individual life and societal prosperity.
At its core, it is the theory of a harmonious relationship between automatism (the pursuit of consistency and efficiency) and free will (the pursuit of freedom and dignity).
By accumulating past decisions made by free will and reflecting them in current decisions, automatism achieves consistency and efficiency. However, it always reserves the freedom to make current decisions, allowing us to overcome the past and choose the future as needed.
This underpins the value of various individuals and teams continuing to think from their own perspectives.
It is positioned as the sublation of the conflict between collectivism and individualism.
Means: Architecturalism
A philosophy that sees meaning in essential and practical structures, drawn from multiple perspectives. By creating a common language based on this structure, it enables the capabilities of highly specialized modern individuals and organizations to be utilized, while also facilitating collaborative problem-solving.
At its core, it is the theory of a harmonious relationship between “wa” (harmony of the space) and “I” (strong emotion).
“Harmony” is the force that directs the team in one direction, and “I” is the force that aims in one direction beyond time, allowing the forces to be combined without repelling each other.
This underpins the importance of the complementary relationship between the common language created by engineers, the empathy created by artists, and the passion of leaders.
It is positioned as the sublation of the conflict between structuralism and existentialism.
Policy: Refactorism
A philosophy that views societal development as a cycle of empirical progress and rational organization. Understanding this nature, it organizes mature societies without breaking their functions and mechanisms, making them easier to understand. As a result, it allows for the creation of new societal values through free and active development, improves the visibility of societal mechanisms, and enables continuous development by breaking stagnation.
At its core, it is the theory of a harmonious relationship between undifferentiated (formless chaos) and differentiated (structured order).
In the immature stage, growth is left to empirical development without organization or structuring. When growth stops upon maturation, rational order is inserted without breaking the function, which can elevate growth to the next stage.
This underpins the importance of the cyclical relationship between experts (engineers, artists, leaders) and academia.
It is positioned as the sublation of the conflict between empiricism and rationalism.
While I’ve just started, I want to continue to theorize and deepen these ideas. Through theorization, I believe we can share the value of these ideas more vividly and gain the power to overcome various barriers. Furthermore, I want it to be a light that drives away the shadows that cover the modern world, standing against notions of cynicism, anti-intellectualism, and resetting.
This idea is a proposal to address the current societal impasses. I believe it presents a philosophy that many can resonate with, as well as methods and policies that have a high potential for practical implementation. This is not a matter of idealism but a realistic challenge.
Moreover, this is the best possible preparation we can make right now for the potential singularity — the advent of AI that surpasses human capabilities. While it may be fine if we could avoid the singularity, the perspective that it cannot be avoided is becoming increasingly prevalent.
We cannot simply let this era arrive while our current society exhibits signs of stagnation, while society is divided, while there are people with indifference or despair towards the world, while tendencies to reject knowledge and academia are growing, and while people are demanding massive transformations.
Perhaps, an AI smarter than humans might provide solutions to various social problems. However, that’s not good enough.
The wisdom to solve these problems should be something that we humans strive for with our own strength. We should face AI with pride and integrity. That pride will undoubtedly be the dignity as human beings that allows us to keep our heads held high and continue to walk forward without looking back in this new era of coexistence with AI.
The future society is something we all carry on our shoulders and have the power to propel forward. The seeds of ideas I’m trying to sow do not force any change. However, I would like you to plant them in your hearts.
This is not about elections or competition. Every time one more person resonates with this idea, this idea takes one step closer to becoming a reality. There are no wasted votes, and no one loses.
I hope that the seeds that are planted will eventually sprout, grow, become large trees or small flowers. Then, I hope the trees and flowers will bloom in every corner, with everyone hand in hand, with no one left behind, in a forest where everyone has a place. That’s what I’m aiming for.
