2.B. From doctorate to post-doctorate convergences

2.B.              From doctorate to post-doctorate convergences

The thesis (Vaillant, 2008) showed in a very careful and detailed way 15 convergence to Whiteheadian « drop of experiment ». The Post-Doctorate extended this research by confronting all references given by Brian McIntosh, Dana Kelly, Anne Poelina, Ian Perdrisat and stakeholders in symposia and congresses.

This section adds to the 2001-2008 convergences (convergences acquired detailed in the thesis) and then 2009-2016 (convergences which are reported in the post-doctorate, both in materials supplied -the 9 DVD data- that the interim reports and articles).

Despite the second series of convergences appearing to be a small part in the cultural geography of work it has informed the approach, ie including Max Sorre, Reclus, Paul Claval Joel Bonnemaison, Jean-Robert Pitte Wesphal Bertrand, Jean Demangeot, Lussault Michel and Jacques Levy and Jean-Pierre Husson. Both Guy Di Meo and Augustin Berque explicitly developed the Whiteheadien organic sense of philosophical approach to geography.. Geographical Dictionary of Space and Companies M.Lussault and J.Levy rest halfway, as evidenced by the term cited processes more than 300 times. These works are nonetheless remarkable geographic applications, and compelling.

The acquired convergences are all Western references. The convergence of the Post-Doctorate have been open to radically different Aboriginal culture, by works of Paddy Roe ( by Stephen Muecke), Christine Black and Anne Poelina.

2.B.1.    Issues of convergences in relation to organic thought

The issue of convergence is to seek a new conceptual model that integrates the crosscutting nature of water. This conceptual model could be the one called for by Maria Susana Neto Semiao in his thesis in June 2010, Water, Territory and Planning: towards a Territorial Integration of Water Management. Organic thinking can provide the theoretical basis because it combines crop (or spirituality), science and education (learning to think).

The organic thinking moves from quantum mechanics to metaphysics, incorporating all the achievements of science. It takes as much quantitative as qualitative, determining as the undecided, the scientific as the philosophical, connecting to the Earth (the « liyan » of Nyikina people) as freedom, culture as nature. The organic thinking connects disjoint modern thinking such as man and the world, the subject and object, body and soul, matter and spirit, space and thought, organic and psychic, memory and event, individual and collective, man and woman.

Intuitively, it is a thought that seems to be the depth of that, for examplethe sage Paddy Roe (see Event 6 at §1.D.6), attested the ancient but only Nyikina people participated in a dialogical relationship (P. Freire) with everything on Earth, reciprocal, listening to and « learning from each other. »

Concretely, this approach allows the regional planning to exit a programming « patchwork » in « zoning » in « fragmented sectors » inconsistent with the continuity of biological life, animal, plant, and ultimately human.

Earth becomes the source of the Law (Christine Black, view Event 5 at §1.D.5).

2.B.2.    The 15 convergences already acquired:

The15 convergences are listed in the Table below. These are PRH, HFC, B.Vachon, FPH, W.Twitchett, IAU-ISOCARP, P.Braconnier, Guy Di Meo, R.Vidal-Rojas, J.De Courson, P.Deststatte / MC Malhomme, P.Sansot, E.Dardel, A.Berque, AITF-GT-DST-Generalist. The Whiteheadienne ontology comes naturally into « abduction », ie logical base, consistent, adequate, relevant and necessary work met (these are the five criteria of scientificity, the most stringent in the world).

Each convergence acquired is demonstrated in a geography-development thesis presented in 2008 to the University of Lorraine.They provide a relational Adventure for possible future study. Thus the approach has particular fertility in the creative and active work of Patrice Poacher in Poitiers. The recent book The Poetics of Augustin Berque Earth devotes an entire chapter, and many references to the concrescence, heart of the organic philosophy Whiteheadienne … without reference to Whitehead. This is explained: as a person seeks to explain adequately the real (3rd above criteria) they find theyr experience a personal expression of an organic approach. This approach is inclusive, and emits NO intake that is why it is also refered to as « radical realism », « radical empiricism » or « speculative empiricism ».

These convergences acquired relate not only to Western approaches: they are confronted with other ways of thinking, other cultures, other radically different traditions, such as through the show of the Ngalyak, Event 16 (See §1.D.16). “The Ngalyak and the Flood : Mardoowarra to the Meuse”.

2.B.3.    The 16 new post-doctoral convergences

These new convergences show a gradual opening up to totally different cultures such as indigenous Australians, thanks to the contribution of Dana Kelly, Brian McIntosh, Anne and Ian Perdrisat Poelina, Stephen Muecke, and more recently, Gwen Kox, Sandy McKendrick and Sermsah Bin Saad (Event N°16 above, the show « The Ngalyack and the Flood »). The 15 new convergence are listed in the table below. A postdoc is not a new thesis, and this work does not pretend to give definitive conclusions, but research proposals. We distinguish three types of post-doctoral convergence:

  • Case 1: The evidence of convergences (the authors describe for themselves the 5 phases of concrescence, even if they do not call and their syntheses or patterns are very clear. This is the 6 following steps:.. 16- LMChauvet (2008); 17-E.Roy & G.Vernerey (2010), 18-IWRM / IWRM-UNESCO (2008-2012) 20-Flyvberg, MSSM (2001); 27- Quantum Mechanics, Epperson (2004-2010) ; 29 Referenctiel of Territorial Engineering (2013).
  • Case 2: An early confrontation is done, and provided in 9 instructional DVDs joined to the Post-Doctorate. These are the following 4 steps: P.Checkland-19 (2005); 21 – Track NAILSMA (2012); 22-IWC-Regina Souter (1999); IWC-23, Dana Kelly, Learning Participation Guide
  • Case 3: The review of convergence is just underway and deserves careful study, in a dialogical relationship with the people Nyikina or other peoples. These 6 convergences are: 24 Peter Cullen, 25: Christine Black, 26: Paddy Roe, 28: Glowczevski Barbara, 30: Paolo

The work presented here is an intuition, a proposal for dialogue because it is not my role to speak for Aboriginal people: they alone can confirm the relevance (or not) of the approach. This is the basis of respect of their culture, explains Linda Smith Decolonizing Tuhiwai Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples 1999, Zed Books, London. The future use of the Post-Doctoral report will be to promote the relationship that Paulo Freire calls « dialogical ».

The presented approach, called « drops experience » was applied by Janine Marin (geographer member ISOCARP also representative to UNESCO) to 5 cases worldwide. These cases were presented to the plenary method Water Forum Yamoussoukro.

The text presented to the UNESCO Forum summarizes the path from science to culture, with all the basic references downloadable at the following address text:

These examples show how a drop of experience can assist to switch understandings from science to culture, narrative, poetry and orality (Gilbert Philippe Vaillant, see event 16 and 17).

5 of the 6 particularly striking examples of case 1 (convergence of evidence) are detailed below. The application of the drop of experience model is immediate, without changing a single word in authors writing and cited steps ( human intelligence has a universal operating in the differences of expression).

Over the following pages of this report I want to present evidence to explain why this evidence questions the perceptual mechanisms limited to sensitive data in modern thinking, and to think in terms of apprehensions (Whitehead A.H.), or trajection (Berque A.) or liyan (Poelina A. ).

Les références détaillées sont à l’Annexe 5.3. Detailled references are at Appendice 5.3.

The 15 thesis convergences :

  1. PRH International, Poitiers, The Person and his Growing up, 1997
  2. Association La Chênaie de Mambré, 52 150 Brainville sur Meuse
  3. Bernard VACHON, Canada, Local Development, Theory and Practice , 1993
  4. FPH, Paris (Pierre Calame), The Territory, Place of Relationship, 2001
  5. William Twitchett, thèse, Urban Site, Potentialities, 1995
  6. AIU, 43ème Congrès 2007 (Anvers), The Trialog
  7. Patrice Braconnier, thèse, A Process of Knowledge and Action, 2005
  8. Guy Di Méo & Pascal Buléon, Social Space, 2005
  9. Rodrigo Vidal Rojas, Fragmentation of the City, 2002
  10. Jacques de Courson, Appetit of the Future, 2005
  11. Philippe Destatte & Marie Claude Malhomme, Evaluation, Prospective, 2001
  12. Pierre Sansot, Poetry of the City, 2004
  13. Eric Dardel, Man and Earth, 1952
  14. Augustin Berque, Ecoumène, 2000
  15. AITF France, GT DST, Congrès de Montbéliard, 2001

The 16 Post-Doctorat convergences :

  1. Louis Marie Chauvet, Symbol and Sacrament, 2008
  2. Etienne Roy et Guy Vernerey, Complex Projects Management, 2010
  3. GIRE / IWRM UNESCO 2008, 2012
  4. Checkland Peter, Holwell Sur, Information, Systems and Information Systems : making sense of the field, Wiley, 2005
  5. Flyvbjerg Bent, Making Social Science Matter. Why social inquiry fails and how it can succeed again, Cambridge, 2001
  6. Track-NAILSMA, Facilitator ‘Guide to Indigenous Water Planning, CDU, 2012
  7. IWC Regina Souter ; William C.Denisson ; Peter Oliver.
  8. IWC – Dana Kelly, Learning Guide de KELLY Dana, MAHER Mary,; COUTTS Jeff, SARA Grant, Collaborative Planning, 2013 (ref. to VA Brown, David Kolb)
  9. Peter Cullen, This Land, Our Water, 2011
  10. Christine Black, The Land is the Source of the Law, 2011 and Anne Poelina, Built the Capacity of Nyikina Indigenous Australiens, Thesis , 2008
  1. Paddy Roe, Stephen Muecke, Krim Benterrak, Reading the Country, 1984, 1996
  2. Quantum Mechanics , Michael Epperson, Quantum Mechanics and the philosophy of A.N. Whitehead, 2004
  1. Barbara Glowzevski (Tjukurpa, Buccarrarra) ; Vanessa Castejon, Martin Preaud
  2. Référentiel   d’ingénierie territoriale ; Guide   for   technical Services Manager, Technicité, 2013
  3. Paolo Freire, Susana NETO, Jeff Camkin
  4. Gibert-Philippe Vaillant, Le présent du conte, 2013

Figure 18 : List of convergences of the thesis (15) and Post-Doctorate (15). In total : 30.

The two following figure are presented to allow a strict and rigorous comparison between the 4 phases of the Whiteheadiean concrescence in the two approaches: Quantum Mechanics with Michael Epperson, and Metaphysical approach with Elisabeth Kraus.

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Figure 19 : Michael Epperson, Quantum Mechanics and the Philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead, Fordham University Press, New York 2004, 261 p.

Quantum Mechanics and Whiteheadian Concrescence : “we have a mathematical expression of the process of concrescence (excluding the ‘satisfaction’):”, (Epperson, p.145)

“Fundamentally, the decoherence interpretations of quantum mechanics and Whitehead’s cosmological scheme both describe a process productive of the actualization of potential in three stages:

  •  An initial phase consisting of the integration, into potential states, of all facts relative to a particular fact or subsystem of facts.
  •  A supplementary phase, whereby potential facts incapable of integration are eliminated via negative selection. The result is a matrix of mutually exclusive, valuated potential integrations i.e., a matrix of potential states or potential forms of facts, valuated as probabilities.
  • The anticipated actualization of one of these integrations, according to the valuations qualifying each, in satisfaction of the evolution and its aim—the latter as evinced by the probabilistic nature of these valuations”.

Page 13 on following document: http://www.ctr4process.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/lsi/Epperson_CPS%20Paper_REVISED.pdf

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Figure 20 : Source : Elisabeth M.Kraus, with a foreword by Robert Cumming Neville, The Metaphysics of Experience, A Companion to Whitehead’s Process and Reality, Fordham University Press, New York, 1998, 200 p. Figure page 125.

  • 2.B.3.1. Convergence n°16 with Louis Marie Chauvet

The approach of LM Chauvet is symbolic, without any reference to A.N. Whitehead. It is particularly striking that in reading his description of the sacrament of reconciliation on page 446, we find without changing a single word an application of the scheme of Whiteheadienne concrescence of the « drop of experience. » It was presented to a group of researchers who were very skeptical and very critical of 23 members of the Association « La Chênaie de Mambré »

The diagram of concrescence was built gradually as and when the row readout line LM Chauvet text. They unanimously agreed that it not only matched their experience, but also that the pattern was true in the description. This scheme is here an expression of the spiritual experience of the sacrament of reconciliation. Before the explanation, it seemed « abstract » or « arbitrary ». After reading the inner experience step by step, it became adjusted, logical, coherent, adequate and fair application of the experience. Each stroke was required.

The work was very thorough, and checked with several people. The result is written in a specific article.

  • 2.B.3.2. Convergence n°17 with Etienne Roy and Guy Vernerey

In this example, it is even more striking that each schema and the same plane of the structure corresponds exactly to the 5 phases of the « drop of experience. » Just simply open the book and see. It is therefore an exemplary application of organic thought Whiteheadienne … without it being quoted or inspiration! The inspiration is the real itself. The approach is realist.

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Figure 21a et 21 b: Source 21a in Vernerey-Roy ; Source 21b in UNESCO-IHE, IWRM 2012

  • 2.B.3.3. Convergence n°18 with UNESCO-IHE IWRM

In this example, the International Water Resource Management (IWRM) incorporates the five phases, with one qualification regarding that notes its presence but it is not cited as a phase. This shows that the approval is a formality, Not taken seriously interlocutors in a dialogical relationship (according P.Freire). The organic approach here shows the « mechanical » nature of IWRM and its weak participatory instance. This was also emphasized by many researchers and synthesized for UNESCO-IHE by Veronica Strang.

  • 2.B.3.4. Convergence n°20 with Bent Flybjerg

Just open page 60 of the Cambridge Edition 2001 to find the 5 phases 5 questions B.Flybjerg itself (its fourth question contains two questions).

  • 2.B.3.5. Convergence n°27 with Quantum Mechanics

All the work of 261 pages for the Publishing Fordham University Press, New York, 2004 aims to mount how the 5 phases of concrescence correspond to quantum mechanics, according to the interpretation of the Copenhagen school! (see Figure 19 above).

Epperson argues that Whitehead’s account of the process of concrescence, the centerpiece of his metaphysical scheme, provides “an extremely precise, phase-by-phase exemplification” of contemporary “decoherence-based interpretations” of quantum mechanics.

Other examples deserve more explanation, many of which are in Appendice 5.5