Reflecting on Coherence and Reductionism

     Reflecting on Coherence and Reductionism

In the period following the 2013 Youth Conferences, coherence was a concept that the youth in my community often discussed. In our conversations, fostering coherence among the various aspects of our lives meant avoiding dichotomies and finding a balance between different areas, such as study, work, or service. As our understanding of this spiritual concept continues to grow, we see coherence as the harmony between different elements of a whole.

The following is an attempt to put on paper my reflections on coherence and the challenges I encounter trying to navigate different aspects of life. It is becoming clear that learning to foster coherence entails developing an accurate reading of different stages in my life and bringing relevant principles to bear on decision-making. Part of this process involves avoiding reducing complex issues.

  Reductionism: Coherence and Other Concepts

The Universal House of Justice warned the Bahá’í community against reductionism in its 28 December 2010 message to the Continental Boards of the Counsellors. In that message, the House of Justice delineated certain habits of thought that affect the unfoldment of the global Plan and the tendencies we need to overcome. One of these tendencies is reductionism. The House of Justice observed: “Achievements tend to be more enduring in those regions where the friends strive to understand the totality of the vision conveyed in the messages, while difficulties often arise when phrases and sentences are taken out of context and viewed as isolated fragments”. Consequently, we start “to perceive dichotomies, where, in fact, there are none”.

Reductionism is the tendency to simplify a complex and dynamic system into one of its elements. It reduces spiritual principles and complex issues to a soundbite, assumes comprehensiveness, and suggests a simplistic solution. For example, I used to reduce the spiritual principle of equality between men and women to the division of chores in the household. The solution? Men should spend more time in the kitchen. In the same vein, I tended to reduce the unity of mankind to the association with people of different races or tribes. Poverty became—in my limited understanding—only related to the lack of money and that shoveling wealth down the hierarchy is the solution. However, as my understanding continues to grow, the complexity of these issues does not seem to lead to a simple solution. I started to question my early assumptions regarding poverty: is it really the lack of money? Surely money is one element, but to focus on it alone is misleading. Factors such as access to spiritual and material education, a plan for the future, and many others became relevant. All the while, I realized that I should watch out for the materialistic view of life which posits that big houses, cars, and robust bank accounts define success.

            The Training Institute to the Rescue?

The methodology of the training institute helps to foster a way of thinking in individuals and a community that avoids reductionism. One commentator has an interesting take in this regard: “Some may wonder why the sections in institute books have no headings. Could it be that it encourages the participants to tolerate a measure of ambiguity, to consider the full thought, to avoid the temptation to reduce and summarize?” It is known that the tutor’s responsibility is to ensure that the participant’s understanding of a concept has evolved—not that they have fully understood. Every time we study a concept, we gain new insights. Hence, comprehension has to work at three levels: the words that compose the quotation, how we apply them to shape our behaviour, and their implication in our daily lives. This method makes the study of a concept inexhaustible—that no matter how deep we think we have gone, we are not near the bottom.

Reductionism can also lead to a set of misplaced beliefs, and when those who hold these beliefs think of themselves as morally superior to those who do not, disunity arises. A just society grounded in spiritual principles becomes further out of reach when the potent tools of consultation and collaboration are corroded when individuals resort to using shame, manipulation, and misinformation to prove their points. To shield myself from going down this path, I must remember that serious issues do not have a single solution; I must strive to see situations from all vantage points, to listen to points of view different from my own, to engage all individuals in the discourses of society, and to have compassion.

In this regard, arm in arm, Bahá’ís and their friends are striving to look beyond the popular narratives of wider society and seek ways to build unity. Participation in the Training Institute through its educational process that fosters the spiritual empowerment of children, junior youth, and adults is one avenue. In doing so, we strive to follow the advice of Shoghi Effendi: “Bahá’ís should seek to be many-sided, normal and well balanced, mentally and spiritually”. In addition, “we should not give the impression of being fanatics but at the same time we must live up to our principles”.

The House of Justice demands that the institutions and agencies of the Faith should help Bahá’ís “to analyze but not reduce, to ponder meaning but not dwell on words, to identify distinct areas of action but not compartmentalize”.In so doing, we will gradually avoid reductionism while cultivating the habit of looking at the whole. I hope to remember this advice as an individual.

I started to wonder whether reductionism is a sign of my own intellectual laziness, willful blindness, or both. Obviously, men and women fully participating in household duties helps quell stereotypes; the association of people of different races is a step toward unity; and a lack of money can be extremely difficult. Nevertheless, to reduce these concepts to one element seems unacceptable. Regarding the spiritual principles—equality between men and women and the unity of mankind—I do not think that I understand their full implications as intended by Bahá’u’lláh. Our understanding as a community will continue to evolve while we read and apply the Writings of the Faith and reflect on our progress.

References

• Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections From the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá 227.

• Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks 63.

• Shoghi Effendi, Compilation: Bahá’í Marriage and Family Life 225.

• The Universal House of Justice, letter dated 28 December 2010 to the Continental Boards of the Counselors

• Bahá’í.org, An Ever-Advancing Civilization: Coherence Between the Spiritual and Material. https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/god-his-creation/ever-advancing-civilization/coherence-between-spiritual-material/