Often when developing new domains in the field of apithology the greatest surprise is how there are only one, two (or none) prior mentions of its central concepts. We search for word-phrases like ‘humanity nurturance’, ‘generative potentials’, ‘humanity inquiry’, or ‘the antonym of pathology’ – and have found in the past little of prior reference. From this process of checking…
Holding Humanitism
They say that in public speaking, when talking about an unfamiliar topic to a diverse group, it is good to begin with a joke. Here is one that you may not have heard before: “A humanist, transhumanist and a humanitist walk into a bar. The barman says: ‘What would you like to drink?’. The humanist says: ‘Yes, that is…
Heroic Returnings Revisited
There is a beautiful poignancy noted by comparative mythologist, Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) regarding the art of the successful return in the final phases of the hero journey monomyth. At the commencement of the psychological journey the hero is compelled to undertake, there is something acutely unknown that is missing from the ailing society. The hero goes forth and in a…
The Opposite of War (is not Peace)
To celebrate International Apithology Day 2017 there was a special event. This was an invited preview of the art exhibit titled ‘The Opposite of War (is not Peace)’. The history of this exhibit goes back to an art project from an inquiry in December 2015. The question asked was: ‘What would an apithological approach to world peace look like?’ .…
Traversing into Tagore
In seeking some solace and inspiration the other day, I turned for refuge to the work of Bengali laureate, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). My logic was in times of difficulty and decline some greater perspective may be derived from those who have seen a vastness of ascendency and descent, and decency and assent, in civil society. Superiority in Silence My first…
An ethic of humanity caring
From the discipline of apithology comes the means and method of caring for a small humanity. It makes some comforting sense really, that in having a theory of childhood development and understanding patterns of progression in adult morality, that we might also one day discover an ethic of humanity enablement. One interesting question is what is the ethic that guides…
5555 days of practice, and still learning
Today marks a (strange) milestone. It is one that, like a significant birthday, snuck up on me, gradually and unexpectantly. It seems from my records that today is the 5555th day of a continuous reflective personal practice. The back-ground story goes like this … In December, 2000 I was completing the capstone unit in a sixteen-unit Masters degree in Leadership and…
Only an idea could last this long …
In spending a summer’s afternoon at the Bauhaus archives in Berlin recently I was taken with the history and trajectory of this movement. The products of its attention to an explicit intention reflect for me beauty, utility and economy. Being attributes I cultivate in my own work, I asked: What can Apithology learn from the Bauhaus (as an analogy)? …
Finding Directions (Differently)
I have been working recently on developing the integrating themes of the last decade of my research work and personal praxis. As part of that process, I asked a number of peers and friends what they thought the contribution of continuity was, the principle that informed all of what I do, that I might carry forward over the next 40…