What is Hot 2/2012: A
late Eulogy and news on the NEW GROUP THINK !
John N. Warfield (see his extensive
websites) and WIKIPEDIA
John is for me a unique squared and round
character and emininent scientist. I learned a lot from him in / after meeting
him in Panetics Society (ISP)
Board Sessions and around the IASIS.
In the 2003
we asked him to accept being part of the Academic
Board of the IESC (International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics)
which he refused for long, insisting to not hold positions, but make a
difference !! I remember him refusing to be part of the ISP speakersboard or
prominent there – only to show the difference…
John I
called squared as his ethical and synthetic analytical standard where
unquestionable and ranging over wide fields, tough sometimes for his colleagues
and unquestionable in his professional presence, standards, formats and depth.
I came across
his name not only around his ISM but learned that he was not only the boss of
Alexander Christakis for some time, and that Walter Bogan was involved for
helping in the early days of System Sciences adding the participative and
communicative dimensions to social systems design and decision making – I only
mention “group think” here…
For me the
bridge between, integrated, human, systemic, holistic and ethical …. is always challenging. John is more the withdrawn,
intellectual, and deep entry door for this.
When I think of John I
think not only about Panetics, or his MENTOMOLOGY - THE IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MINDBUGS,
but also about a very central terms in his work: Clanthink,
Groupthink, Spreadthink,
Linkthink, group and societal pathologies. This has much to do with my
focus on policy and decision-making, democracy and governance. But how to communicate Johns central
contribution!? Let me try: He shows that we are blind I our reasoning,
we think we know but do not. And John and also Alexander Christakis
worked to make this visible and transparent, so we can learn and counteract,
come to shared positive actions in a living, true democracy what Christakis
connects to Demosophia.
Recently checking
GROUPTHINK in Wikipedia I was shocked – I always knew that this “global
encyclopedia” is blind. Only in-groups work and define their terms, deleting
issues beyond the box of their on subject area. So the Groupthink entry is a
good term to explore “groupthink” and the differences to clanthink and
spreadthink. But to present it properly you need a more qualified and deeper
source than WIKIPEDIA !
I am like John in the
Academic Board of the International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics,
and had the honour and pleasure to help distribution and announcements for the
publisher. With my task to promote it why not show what the Encyclopedia has to
offer about Warfield and Groupthink, and connected terms !
Just a teaser to get an
idea that Encyclopedias can be more, more general,
deep and consistent – a quality question when you need to check for deeper
meanings and connections. So please check here: 
2009
I checked
some time-lines
and milestones for an exchange/ interview with Christakis for EuropesWorld
Warfield
has passed away, an eulogy is needed a.s.a.p.…
Jan
2012-01-16 when checking some links I find this comment by Walter Bogan
recollecting his work and support / funding of the systems and education
aspects of his work with Christakis and Warfield.
Below you
can Walter J. Bogans text under my quergeist article:
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7 Nov
2011 @ 21:53 by
Walter J. Bogan @209.144.63.76 : Conversation
with Christakis
Dear Heiner, Thank you for sharing
the report of your recent interview with Aleco. I think the most salient
paragraph, going forward, was his reflection, consider the question, “Why do
pupils drop out of school?”
I addressed the human dimensions of environment in different capacities over
many years. I participated in the 1970 Stockholm Conference as the chair of the
committee of US NGO representatives. I was Executive Director of the
Scientists’ Institute for Public Information in
When I moved to
Dr. John N. Warfield became the Principle Investigator for the consortium of
research institutions that implemented the strategic plan for the Environmental
Education Act of 1970. In 1980, John Warfield produced Designs for the Future
of Environmental Education (USDOE Publication No. E-81-39000).
It reported on the implementation of the research and development strategy of
my office under the US Environmental Education Act of 1970.
Dr. Christakis referenced Thomas R. Flanagan’s recent book, “A Democratic
Approach to Sustainable Futures” that I have not read but from the introduction
and table of contents, available online, it appears to be a logical extension
of the computer supported implementation of the Regional Environmental Learning
System RELS that we reported in 1980 in “Designs for the Future of
Environmental Education.” The history and extent of the collaborations of John
N. Warfield, Walter J. Bogan and Alexander N. Christakis is available at [link]
In the implementation of the Environmental Education Act of the 1970, we
developed environmental education programs to address the human dimensions of the
environment that had not been addressed at Stockholm and are still ignored by
too many “environmental educators” and proponents of the new “education for
global sustainability”. We need a meaningful review of the human issues that
were not addressed at
In 2012, [link], The United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development, Rio+20, will focus on two themes:
Green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication
Institutional framework for sustainable development
I hope to be able to identify and coordinate resources to develop a meaningful
education and public communication program to support this agenda and to
mobilize a constituency to support human development and global sustainability.
With regard to your reference to Yehezkel Dror’s initiative to launch Global
Policy Colleges through the Club of Rome more than 15 years ago, I commend to
your attention, Dr. John N. Warfield’s Wandwavers Solution, [link]
I lost your email address, you can reach me at boganwj@me.com
Best,
Walter