Keywords: Health, Career, Philosophy, Care Philosophy, Care Domains

Citing this page:

Jones, P. (2005) Searching for the Middle: Global Reach & Close

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Hermes, Hodges and Harlequin: Global Reach

The primary objective of science is often described as casting light on the dark, the unknown. It is ironic that in casting light through technology it is our culture that shines brightly; dimming the stars that first made us wonder. Our cities shine to such an extent that the significance of our situation is lost in the glare. In the popular 1980s TV series Cosmos Carl Sagan linked us intimately with the stars. Serres (1997, p.10) notes that under the cranial vault constellations twinkle. The human train continues: a miraculous humanistic and mechanistic dance. The course for this planet is also set in train. A cosmic strand of DNA, Earth-sun, solar system, galaxy, cluster, and the sun turning until the cosmic telomere is no more: Nova.

In Five Senses, Serres does not overtly discuss mortality, loss, depletion, omission (Connor, 1999); to succeed just ‘think outside the box’; why, because the box seems empty? Missing so much is this the price of a long life, or a way of life? Plaques disconnect, disable the memory, the critical biological boxes no longer register and connect. The noise that counts the background bioelectrical hum is changed or absent. Memories once ready to roll downhill, surfing the wave of potential are inaccessible, if retained at all. Wither the neural crossroads, the mote in Hermes’ eye? People or stars it is all a matter of time.

Serres’ approach seems to identify with the universal experiences of learners. Hodges’ model was developed with education in mind. It could be argued that this emphasis on learners provides an absolution of responsibility, but this is not the case. Responsibility is a central theme of Serres work, pivotal in contracts, whether social, political or natural. In Hodges although responsibility is not documented specifically the concept is deeply embedded within clinical theory and practice.

There are three records: the care record, the knowledge record imbued in the Web, and the planet. It is strange, this obsession with risk and records: physically, cognitively, and computationally. Two obsessions, closely related, so hand-in-hand that incessant washing cannot erase evidence of this union. Now: the planet is humanities record. We are still learning about the entities and attributes of this planetary record, some people argue that being incomplete it cannot be read. When is a record complete? Through remote sensing our senses are extended; they are exosomatic (Medawar, 1984), but seeing more means recording more. Do we understand more? Who is listening? Gaia taps our shoulder with increasing insistence. Who will turn around and look her in the eye? The dare increases in magnitude moment by year. People need to see the stars to see how transient they are, to wonder and respect as once before.

The competition for elbowroom affects our fellow guests. The planetary record is not written by the hand alone, it depends on physical space, and a series of other finite resources. Serres does not need to refer to loss; the record does it for him. The record does it for all of us. In Genesis, Serres writes of the collapse and erosion of the Dolomites; portentous words as climate change attacks the Alps, altering the Dolomites (Hooper, 2004). I am struck by the way comets were the Hermes, the harbingers of tomorrow; and today - the striking appearance of contrails particularly those nearer the horizon, so comet-like especially as they buzz the sun. In addition to finding h2cm there, what other messages are writ large in the sky? Do we have the will and capacity to read them?

Closing discussion

Since h2cm has never been fully developed in theory or practice, comparison with Serres (translated) work is limited. Both are encyclopaedic, they share a psycho-historical objective in education, and in both information can act as a unifying concept, but for what reason, why is this significant? Politics and philosophy through public debate of values suffer from a lack of engagement. Citizenship is crucial in health and the environment and vice-versa. Do we sit and wait for synchrony, or spontaneous citizen activism to occur? Governance cannot by definition be unidirectional. There must be political equivalence and continuity (termed ‘simultaneous policy’) on the policies that matter to us all, such as the global warming. Only then can issues be addressed nationally for translation to international objectives.

Education, central and local government can attend to citizenry, but there must be political equivalence and continuity (simultaneous policy). That is cross-party agreement on environmental and related policies. Only then can the issues start to be addressed nationally, whatever the colour of government then translated to international objectives.

Our problems demand consideration of more than one interface, each must have a voice:

1. Serres’ call for transformation of the social contract into a natural contract, space for consilience (Wilson, 1998) (Scientific governance).
2. H2cm as a global conceptual tool for sharing issues, problems and solutions, a social space in which to agree to differ, engage and educate (Social governance).
3. Wilber’s (2000) work on conceptual integration is very similar to h2cm (Interpersonal governance).
4. The challenges of global organisation and democracy, covering consent, fair trade, the UN, World Bank and globalisation (Monbiot, 2003; Fisher & Ponniah, 2003) (Political governance).

The scholastic 3Rs alone are no longer sufficient to equip youngsters for current and future challenges. Wither health literacy without visual and information literacy (accessibility issues acknowledged). Not everyone yearns to be creative; yet without critical, reflective skills, the ability to find (or merely seek) the middle, do governments have the electorate they deserve? The ability to appreciate what lies between analysis and synthesis is the 21st century touchstone. Whether educated to care for others or to care for self, is there a generic model that could be taught globally, across continents, cultures, and ethnic divides? Is there a value neutral tool that could provide the foundation for the personal, social and health education curriculum; a conceptual framework accessible and acceptable to all? Have I achieved the original goal - to find a philosophical underpinning for h2cm through Serres’ ideas relating both to global health in the 21st century? I believe in Serres I have, with the bonus of being introduced to Latour and not being tied to a particular philosophical school.

To fully apprehend global health we must repeatedly cross the middle visiting each care domain. Ironically, the ubiquity of information provides the scope to think not only out of the box, but in it as well. Midgley (2003) warns about the seductive properties of big ideas. Brainstorming and a series of links pages do not a solution make? Although health is multicontextual, there is a danger that having all contexts means having none at all. Hermes and Harlequin are never far away. We must persevere.

To manage the exponential increase in information production referred to previously, we must shift from inter- to transdisciplinary ways of working. Is the Medici Effect - the intersection of ideas attainable? That is the exponential increase in ideas generated when you combine two different fields (Johansson, 2004). This surely is the essence of Serres atlas and Hodges’ model: medici-ne. From now onward health and the environment are like two pearls threaded on a fine cord called quality of life. What price this umbilicus, to leave footprints that do not corrupt the mental, physical, economic and spiritual health of others, locally, globally; today and tomorrow?

Intro : h2cm : Serres : Fused : Info2Care : Art-Science : Lang2Care : You Are Here

References:

Fisher W.F., Ponniah, T. (Eds.) (2003) Another World Is Possible: Popular Alternatives to Globalization at the World Social Forum, Zed Books.

Hooper, J. (2004) Third collapse in a month for crumbling Dolomites
in Rome, The Guardian, Saturday July 3.

Johansson, F. (2004) The Medici Effect: Breakthrough Insights at the Intersection of Ideas, Concepts, and Cultures, Harvard Business School Press.

Medawar, P. (1984) The Limits of Science, Oxford, OUP.

Midgley, M. (2003) Myths We Live By, Routledge.

Monbiot, G. (2003) The Age of Consent, Flamingo.

Wilber, K. (2000) Integral Psychology: Consciousness, Spirit, Psychology, Therapy, Shambhala Publications.

Wilson, E.O. (1998) Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, Abacus.