Geoff Mulgan: A Loop Theory of Wisdom
How do we respond to foolish times?
In his most recent blog Geoff Mulgan, Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation at University College London asks “is it possible for an organisation, a system or a society, to become wiser? If so, how could we make this real and not just a vague invocation – like wishing people would be kinder or more loving?
Mulgan shares a draft paper in which he suggests an alternative framework and argues progress in this field is badly needed:
“not just because of the very visible lack of wisdom amongst many leaders and institutions, but also because rapid progress in use of data and artificial intelligence has not led to obviously wiser actions, in part because these fields lack a coherent view of the relationship between data, knowledge and wisdom.”
Mulgan presents wisdom as a looped concept. Saying:
I question the idea that wisdom is an attribute of particular people or institutions, presenting it more in terms of processes and actions. What is wise is what in the long run turns out to be wise. We can only truly recognise wisdom in retrospect, or from a distance. Words alone cannot be wise (and putting too much weight on the declarative, verbal side of wisdom opens up greater risks of hypocrisy and error, and greater risks of taking at face value the traditional hierarchical associations of wisdom - age, status, gender etc).
At Mindhive we talk about the importance of strong feedback loops and the unique power of collective intelligence, to navigate complex problems faster and better. In fact, the purpose of our platform is to provide a space in which anyone can ask questions, share ideas and make sense of the challenges they face. It is through these behaviours, and the actions they generate, that we will collectively become more insightful or wiser.
A sentiment echoed in Mulgan’s blog.
By making the pursuit of wisdom more explicit with claims, predictions and formal processes that allow for shared reflection and learning, along with a constant iteration of questions and answers, I argue that we can improve the quality of thought not only of individuals but also of organisations and whole systems. By removing some of the mystique surrounding wisdom we can do more to promote it.
Mulgan is sharing his paper in draft form - in the spirit of its contents - to encourage critical comment and feedback. Jump in and share your thoughts.
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