Gestaltism/ Organic Holism
Gestalt Psycology has contributed in great lengths to nationalism and state politics. Not only did the transference of this philosophy contribute to Natzi Germany and the persecution of all parts of society that were not part of the productive "organic" people, it also lead to ingrowth and the rejection of diversity/individuality within all the different fields of study durring that time.
When looking at 9/11 and the language Bush uses, I can't help but notice the same principles being applied yet again. There is a real US vs THEM feeling. There is no grey, only Good or Bad. You are in "The Pattern" or not part of it.
Quotes:
"If you're not with us, you're against us."
"We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."
"When the terrorists and their supporters are gone, the people of Afghanistan will say with the rest of the world: Good riddance."
The United States is dealing with an enemy so evil that they want "to kill all Americans, kill all Jews, and kill all Christians."
"We wage a war to save civilization itself. We did not seek it, but we will fight it and we will prevail."
Now what happens when Gestaltism is transfered into Christianity? Perhaps this is where the evangelical tradition picked up its speed. Saved VS Sinner The Body of Christ VS Pagans Christians as a mass must go out and "convert" the world. Not that I don't beleive there is a place for this but it leaves very little room for the work of the Holy Spirit and it places way too much importance on Humanity and the human efforts to "Save the world".
The problem with Gestaltism is that we fill in the missing pieces of the puzzles that we see/make. We find our own patterns, try to fill in the missing blanks and come up with our own conclusions. How do we know who has the right pattern? How do we know the pieces we are trying to put into our patterns really fit? Worldviews... who has the right one and how do you prove it?
Metaphorically, we all see the world as a puzzle. You know the kind we use to put together as children. Many different pieces make up a picture of our own personal realities. But we all share in certain pieces of our puzzles. Perhaps there are some puzzle piece that are the same and can be found and fit in everyones puzzles. These universal puzzle pieces must be some form of absolute reality and we use Gestalt theory to fill the rest in. I would argue that these universal puzzle pieces are really creational, God Knowing, universals. When we are in dialouge with others, we must search out these universals and gain what God given knowledge they provide and recognize them in our own puzzles. We must not dismiss the whole of anothers worldview but try and find/search out what they have to offer.
Can anyone contain the whole picture, claim to see the whole elephant, in their worldview? I think only our creator can lay claim to that vantage point.
When looking at 9/11 and the language Bush uses, I can't help but notice the same principles being applied yet again. There is a real US vs THEM feeling. There is no grey, only Good or Bad. You are in "The Pattern" or not part of it.
Quotes:
"If you're not with us, you're against us."
"We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."
"When the terrorists and their supporters are gone, the people of Afghanistan will say with the rest of the world: Good riddance."
The United States is dealing with an enemy so evil that they want "to kill all Americans, kill all Jews, and kill all Christians."
"We wage a war to save civilization itself. We did not seek it, but we will fight it and we will prevail."
Now what happens when Gestaltism is transfered into Christianity? Perhaps this is where the evangelical tradition picked up its speed. Saved VS Sinner The Body of Christ VS Pagans Christians as a mass must go out and "convert" the world. Not that I don't beleive there is a place for this but it leaves very little room for the work of the Holy Spirit and it places way too much importance on Humanity and the human efforts to "Save the world".
The problem with Gestaltism is that we fill in the missing pieces of the puzzles that we see/make. We find our own patterns, try to fill in the missing blanks and come up with our own conclusions. How do we know who has the right pattern? How do we know the pieces we are trying to put into our patterns really fit? Worldviews... who has the right one and how do you prove it?
Metaphorically, we all see the world as a puzzle. You know the kind we use to put together as children. Many different pieces make up a picture of our own personal realities. But we all share in certain pieces of our puzzles. Perhaps there are some puzzle piece that are the same and can be found and fit in everyones puzzles. These universal puzzle pieces must be some form of absolute reality and we use Gestalt theory to fill the rest in. I would argue that these universal puzzle pieces are really creational, God Knowing, universals. When we are in dialouge with others, we must search out these universals and gain what God given knowledge they provide and recognize them in our own puzzles. We must not dismiss the whole of anothers worldview but try and find/search out what they have to offer.
Can anyone contain the whole picture, claim to see the whole elephant, in their worldview? I think only our creator can lay claim to that vantage point.
posted by June-Star at 8:55 AM
3 Comments:
Interesting way of looking at Gestault.... I can't think of any supporting evidence, but I feel like I disagree with something that you have said....
I guess that if we're talking gestault, I don't have to worry about what part of the elephant I find in the dark room... I just have to imagine that I am the elephant and think about my awarenes as an elephant. I couldn't really improve my environment through slaughtering my enemy because my enemy is me... it's all part of the whole...
I can't picture Hitler sitting down to a little gestault therapy.... maybe he would imagine himself as a flower growing in the warm sunshine... okay, maybe I can picture that. but it seems improbable
My problem with that is that we don't know it's an elephant- the room is dark. We all come-up with our own different conclusions and fill in the blanks, come up with the pattern, in our own ways arriving at false concusions. (unless one person has "guessed right") That's why I think absolutues and truths are so important because we all think/live/behave so differently. The problem with saying everything fits into the puzzle "it's all part of the whole" is that everyone can't be fully right. I think every person/worldview can have insights and truths found in them but as a whole- each worldview will fall short of expaining it all.
I do like the holistic idea of all things having creational properties though; making me no different from my enemy.
PS I read an article the other day about the influence of organic holistic thought and the oposition of mechanism on WW2 Germany. I forget the name of it now but I'll post it later. It's a good read.
PPS Hitler = snapdragon? I could totally see that!
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