Quantum Mechanics & Transdisciplinarity
In this article, we discuss how the new learnings of quantum mechanics are being applied to knowledge and society in order to heal cultural fragmentation. This research supports our work in the Integral Science Initiative, has we study how modern knowledge systems can evolve to become coherent and correspondent to the challenging complexity of metacrisis.
What is Transdisciplinarity
Transdisciplinarity is strongly associated with breakthroughs in Quantum Mechanics. Basarb Nicolescu, the Romanian physicist, is probably the greatest proponent of Transdisciplinarity which exists. He originally picked up the mantle from Jean Piaget and accompanied by Edgar Morin and Manfred Max-Neef, has properly flushed out an avant-garde foundation for Theoretical Transdisciplinarity.
Transdisciplinarity is a view of knowledge and problem-solving which sees Disciplinarity as inadequate for unifying knowledge and solving problems of complexity. The notion of Transdisciplinarity is entails something similar to what we think of as a Renaissance Man like Leonardo da Vinci or Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, somebody who can flexibly shift between the apparently dichotomous fields of Science and Art using each to the advantage of the other.
Far from abstraction or ideals, this key trait of transdisciplinarity is also what Sean Ellis highlights as the key to Marketing in the 21st Century. In his now classic study on ‘Hacking Growth’, he writes,
“And while the details of how it [growth hacking] is implemented vary somewhat from company to company, the core elements of the method are: the creation of a cross-functional team, or a set of teams that break down the traditional silos of marketing and product development and combine talents; the use of qualitative research and quantitative data analysis to gain deep insights into user behavior and preferences; and the rapid generation and testing of ideas, and the use of rigorous metrics to evaluate—and then act on—those results.”
This mentality is in alignment with the Transdisciplinary perspective that “break[s] down the traditional silos” of disciplinarity which is an issue within business, academia, politics, and many other aspects of life in our increasingly bureaucratic age.
Modes of Transdisciplinarity
Transdisciplinarity since its inception has sought to transcend the limitations of the Disciplinarian System. Yet, this intent to unify and transcend has been accompanied by a large schism in the movement itself. This schism is divided by Mode 1 & Mode 2 Transdisciplinarity.
Mode 1
Mode 1 Transdisciplinarity is known as the theoretical ‘Mode’ whose main intent is to understand Transdisciplinarity itself, for the sake of the unity of knowledge. Mode 1 proponents' work is unquestionably valuable and has led to the axiomatic foundations of the study without which the concept of Transdisciplinarity wouldn’t even exist. Mode 1 has been championed by Basarab Nicolescu, Edgar Morin, Manfred Max-Neef and is represented by CIRET, the International Center for Transdisciplinary Research.
Mode 2
Mode 2 Transdisciplinarity is known as the practical method whose main intent is to integrate a transdisciplinary group of stakeholders in order to solve socially relevant problems. These Stakeholders come from various spheres of life including artists, academics, politicians, businessmen, lay people, elders, religious leaders. While Mode 1 tends to seek knowledge for its own sake, Mode 2 cultivates Transdisciplinary groups in order to create innovative solutions to complex issues. Mode 2 has been led by Michael Gibbons, Helga Nowotny, Roland W. Scholz, and is represented by TD-Net, the Network for Transdisciplinary Research.
The Relationship of Classical & Quantum Mechanics
Basarab Nicolescu has really harkened on the fact that he realized the significance of Transdisciplinarity through his work as a physicist. He’s used his knowledge of Quantum Mechanics in order to model how the Transdisciplinary method works.
While it’s a bit heady, this is the type of awareness that can help you see how the many parts of your life which appear separated and disconnected, are all actually a part of one process.
On another note, the work of Cyrille Rigolot who is a researcher of Agro-Ecology, Biodynamics, and Quantum Physics, has found that for Transdisciplinary Operators, a basic understanding of Quantum Physics is an extremely effective way of communicating the Transdisciplinary Method.
What is Classical Mechanics
To understand the impact of Quantum Mechanics, it’s helpful to be aware of the method of physics which precedes (or, coexists with it).
That’s classical mechanics, the branch of physics that prevailed before quantum mechanics and relativity. It deals with the behavior of macroscopic objects (physical objects you and I can see) and emphasizes cause-and-effect relationships.
Its origins trace back to ancient Greek philosophy and gained momentum in the 17th century with the contributions of Galileo and Newton. Particularly Newton's laws of motion and universal gravitation contributed to the formation of the foundation of classical mechanics.
Other subfields of classical mechanics include thermodynamics, optics, and electromagnetism, with figures like Maxwell and Faraday making notable contributions. While classical physics is still a complete & functional sub branch of science which explains the physics of much of our lives, at the break of the 20th century it was challenged by questions which its theory couldn’t answer.
This led to classical physics being eclipsed by quantum mechanics and relativity as early as 1900.
What is Quantum Physics
Quantum Physics today is the most effective way of explaining microphysical phenomena.
The microphysical realm refers to the realm of phenomena and entities at the smallest scales of the physical world. It encompasses the study of particles, atoms, molecules, and subatomic particles such as electrons, protons, neutrons, photons, etc.
The microphysical realm is the domain of quantum mechanics, which is the branch of physics that describes the behavior of matter and energy at these microscopic scales. This is distinct from the macrophysical realm of normal sense objects which is the domain of classical mechanics.
Quantum physics revolutionized our understanding of the subatomic realm, revealing particle-wave duality, superposition, and entanglement. It finds applications in quantum mechanics, computing, and optics. In fact, the impressive advancements of our digital age are founded on the breakthroughs in quantum physics.
The Key Realizations of Quantum Physics
There seem to be two types of reactions to the notion of Quantum Physics, (1) a sort of aversion to complexity & technical jargon - specifically of physics, (2) allotting it the category of obtuse mumbo-jumbo which people use to make something appear more substantiated than it is.
Let me give you the smoothest rundown a non-expert can offer.
Quantum Physics became very interesting after the results of the Double-Slit Experiment. Through experimentation, physicists realized that light, electrons, and matter exist as both particles and waves at the same time.
This led to the notion of Quantum Superposition - that quanta exist in various different modalities at the same time, until they are measured.
In fact, physicists (on the whole) have concluded that it's impossible to know precisely what or where a quanton is because whenever we observe it, our method of observation forces the quanton to appear according to the method with which we are recording it - not its essential state (this is called the Uncertainty Principle).
Another mind boggling realization was the observation of Quantum Nonseparability (Quantum Entanglement). Quanta have been shown to interact with each other at distances which defy the laws of space & time. Said otherwise, quanta travel at speeds faster than light which is impossible in Classical Mechanics.
All of these findings build together the case that once one steps out of the macrophysical realm of reality and into the microphysical, what were presumed to be natural laws enter a new state of existence. The main difference between the classical realm and the quantum realm is that the prior is determined, precise, and objective, while the latter is undetermined, probable, and subjectively influenced.
The Impact of Quantum Physics on Transdisciplinarity
Basarab Nicolescu is without a doubt one of the most impactful contributors to the field of Transdisciplinarity. Being a physicist, he has largely drawn his inspiration from a wealth of knowledge in the domain of Physics. I recommend checking out his Manifesto of Transdisciplinarity written in 2002 to gain his insights.
Transdisciplinarity is a generalized transgression which opens an unlimited space for freedom, understanding, tolerance, and love (Manifesto of Transdisciplinarity, 74).
What Nicolescu has provided for Transdisciplinarity is iconically an Axiomatic Foundation of Transdisciplinarity. This means a set of foundational first principles (axioms/postulates) from which the rest of the process proceeds. One of the keys to this, where he really leans in on Quantum Physics is found in the First Axiom - Levels of Reality.
Levels of Reality
What the current standing theory of Quantum Physics indicates, is that there exist two parallel yet interacting levels of reality. The laws of physics which had been formulated to explain the macrophysical world (laws of motion and thermodynamics for instance) were no longer effective in the microphysical level of atomic & subatomic particles. To this day, those two levels of reality coexist parallely.
This means that being a human being by our very nature indicates that in any given moment we are existing on multiple levels of reality. This sort of a realization is astounding and it empowers us to recognize that it is not only possible to approach matters from a transdisciplinary perspective, but it's actually our natural capacity to do so. Going even further, when we use this ability to operate from a transdisciplinary perspective, we are literally able to connect more dots intuitively. As Nicolescu writes,
"The emergence of at least two different levels of Reality in the study of natural systems is a major event in the history of knowledge. It can lead us to reconsider our individual and social lives, to give a new interpretation to old knowledge, to explore the knowledge of ourselves in a different way, here and now." (Nicolescu, 22)
Conclusion
Transdisciplinarity is a very important key which can help modern innovators, leaders, creators, stakeholders, and visionaries unite an apparently divided or diffuse world. Whether it be political polarization, cultural fragmentation, intercultural divisiveness, complexity problem-solving, or juxtaposed hard/soft disciplines in education, Transdisciplinarity is a key to unity.
This highly refined mode of awareness can be facilitated by a comprehension of the principles of quantum physics. In addition, understanding the relationship between classical physics and quantum physics is a wonderful metaphor for understanding how a transdisciplinary mode of awareness complements disciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, multidisciplinarity, rather than eclipsing them, or negating them.
