polymath

Jul

2021

Comprehensivism in the Islamic Golden Age

Comprehensivism is the practice of integrating as many of Humanity’s sources of learning as possible to better comprehend the world and how it works. The Islamic Golden Age, roughly between the 8th and 14th centuries CE, forged a culture infused with comprehensivist epistemic virtues and these significantly shaped what historian Richard Bulliet calls Islamo-Christian Civilization and the development of Renaissance comprehensivists like Leonardo and modern science.

How did the Islamic world establish their comprehensivist foundation for knowledge? In this resource we will explore some of what has been learned of the cultural traditions that came together during the Islamic Golden Age to provide a historical background for today’s comprehensivism movement. We will offer a comprehensivist interpretation of three exquisite hour long BBC documentaries on “Science and Islam” with the award-winning physicist Jim Al-Khalili as host:

We will also consider Patricia Fara’s epic 2009 book “Science: A Four Thousand Year History”, Dimitri Gutas’s 1998 book “Greek Thought, Arabic Culture: The Graeco-Arabic Translation Movement in Baghdad and Early ʿAbbāsid Society”, and other resources.

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Jun

2021

June 2021 Update on Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Since the April 26th update, Comprehensivist Wednesdays has organized six events. This update documents two forthcoming events and collects resources including event descriptions, video, and essays from the ten most recent past events.

Three Forthcoming Events

In order to RSVP to attend these events, you must join either the 52 Living Ideas meetup or the Greater Philadelphia Thinking Society meetup. Joining either group will require joining Meetup.com which is a free on-line service with strong privacy controls. Once you are a member, you can RSVP to join the event from the link to its Event Page.

Wed 30 Jun 2021 9PM (New York time): Bring Your Most Interesting Topics & Questions to Discuss (Event at Thinking Society)
Wed 7 Jul 2021 9PM (New York time): TBD
Sun 11 Jul 2021 5PM (New York time): The Quest to Purge Vices in the center of Dante’s Comedìa: Purgatorio 12-22 (Event at Thinking Society)
Wed 14 Jul 2021 9PM (New York time): Comprehensivism in the Islamic Golden Age (Event at Thinking Society)

The 11 Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

28 April 2021: Your Polymath/Comprehensivist Experience: Heroes & Insights (Event at 52 Living Ideas) (Event at Thinking Society)
- Video (1h 52m): Your Polymath/Comprehensivist Experience, Insights & Heroes

2 May 2021: Towards Lucifer’s Icy Lair – Fraud and Treachery in Inferno XXIII-XXXIV (Event at 52 Living Ideas) (Event at Thinking Society)
- Reading Dante in 2021
- Video (1h 59m): Dante’s Inferno: Towards Lucifer’s Icy Lair – Fraud and Treachery

5 May 2021: Is Taoism Comprehensivist? What does Eastern Thought offer Polymaths? (Event at 52 Living Ideas) (Other event at 52 Living Ideas) (Event at Thinking Society)
- Video (2h 5m): Is Taoism Comprehensivist? What does Eastern Thought offer Polymaths?
12 May 2021: How To Explore The Future (and Why) with CJ Fearnley (Event at 52 Living Ideas) (Event at Thinking Society)
- Essay on “How To Explore The Future (and Why)”
- Video (1h 52m): How To Explore The Future (and Why)
19 May 2021: Consciousness and Approximations: What makes “Us”? (Event at 52 Living Ideas) (Event at Thinking Society)
- Video (2h 6m): Consciousness and Approximations: What makes “Us”?
26 May 2021: “Language as Interpretation” as a Tool for Comprehensivism (Event at 52 Living Ideas) (Event at Thinking Society)
- Video (1h 58m): “Language as Interpretation” a Conversation
2 Jun 2021: Speaking & Listening; Reading & Writing (Event at 52 Living Ideas) (Event at Thinking Society)
- Video (2h 3m): Speaking & Listening; Reading & Writing
6 Jun 2021: Dante’s Ascent of Mount Purgatory: Cleansing From Vice. Purgatorio I-XI (Event at 52 Living Ideas) (Event at Thinking Society)
- Reading Dante in 2021
- Video (1h 31m): Dante’s Ascent of Mount Purgatory: Cleansing From Vice. Purgatorio I-XI
9 Jun 2021: “Redressing The Crises of Ignorance” with CJ Fearnley (Event at 52 Living Ideas) (Event at Thinking Society)
- Essay on “Redressing The Crises of Ignorance”
- Video (2h 42m): Redressing The Crises of Ignorance
16 Jun 2021: The Networked Brain (Event at 52 Living Ideas) (Event at Thinking Society)
23 Jun 2021: Bring Topics & Questions You Find Most Interesting to Breakout Room Extravaganza (Event at 52 Living Ideas) (Event at Thinking Society)

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Comprehensivist Wednesdays is an on-going series of weekly events to foster the art of comprehensivity, our inclination to integrate all our sources of learning so as to better comprehend the world and how it works. The idea of comprehensivity may best be captured by a quote from Buckminster Fuller’s book “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth”: “wanting to understand all and put everything together”. Although it is impossible to fully achieve by any one human being, it is our conviction that the aspiration of comprehensivity opens new worlds of learning that may not be possible through other approaches. In addition, a citizenry with adequate numbers of practitioners of comprehensivity may be more aware, connected, and able to address planetary challenges.

The series is being organized by emcee Shrikant Rangnekar of 52 Living Ideas in collaboration with CJ Fearnley of Collaborating for Comprehensivism and the Greater Philadelphia Thinking Society. Here are three playlists of past events:

Collaborating for Comprehensivism is an emerging initiative to energize humanity’s collective intelligence through group conversations that step-by-step compose ever broader and deeper and more integrated understandings of our worlds and its peoples.

Mailing List

To receive a weekly update about forthcoming events, please submit a request to join the “Collaborating for Comprehensivism” announcements-only mailing list.

Other Comprehensivist Wednesday's Series News Releases

Mar

2021

March 2021 Update on Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Since the January 25th update, Comprehensivist Wednesdays has organized six events. This update documents two forthcoming events and collects resources including event descriptions, video, and essays from the ten most recent past events.

Two Forthcoming Events

Wed 10 Mar 2021 9PM (New York time): Art as a Healing Agent with Dr Rick Lippin (event at Thinking Society)
Wed 17 Mar 2021 9PM (New York time): Rethinking Change and Evolution: How is Genesis Ongoing? with CJ Fearnley (Not Yet Posted)

The 10 Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

27 January 2021: Destruction & Creation: A Method of Thinking by John Boyd (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society)
- Video (1h 25m): John Boyd & OODA Loop: Destruction & Creation: A Method of Thinking
3 February 2021: Ignorance & Questions (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society)
- Video (1h 44m): Embracing Ignorance & Asking Questions
7 February 2021: Intrapersonal Diversity in Polymaths with Dr. Angela
Cotellessa (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas)
- Video (1h 34m): Intrapersonal Diversity in Polymaths
7 February 2021: Dante’s La Vita Nuova (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society)
- Reading Dante in 2021
- Video (2h 12m): Dante’s La Vita Nuova (The New Life)
10 February 2021: Thoughts on CHANGE from 103 Great Ideas (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society)
- Video (1h 35m): Thoughts on Change: 103 Great Ideas
17 February 2021: Mistake Mystique in Learning and in Life (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society)
- Essay on “Mistake Mystique in Learning and in Life”
- Video (1h 39m): Buckminster Fuller: Mistake Mystique in Learning and in Life
24 February 2021: Understanding Us 2: Core Concepts of Neuroscience (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society)
- Video (2h 3m): Understanding Us: Core Concepts in Neuroscience 2
2 March 2021: Comprehensivist Ideas You Have Found Most Useful: Connecting the Dots (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society)
- Video (1h 58m): Comprehensivist Ideas People Have Found Most Useful: Connecting the Dots
7 March 2021: Polymathy & Authenticity with Yasuhiko Genku Kimura & Dr Angela Cotellessa (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas)
- Video (1h 59m): Authenticity: Courage to be Yourself with Yasuhiko Genku Kimura
7 March 2021: From the Gates of Hell to the City of the Damned (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society):
- Reading Dante in 2021
- Video (1h 50m): Dante: Divine Comedy: From the Gates of Hell to the City of the Damned

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Comprehensivist Wednesdays is an on-going series of weekly events designed to foster the art of comprehensivity, the state or quality of considering with ever increasing depth and breadth more and more of Humanity’s great traditions of inquiry, more and more of Humanity’s communicated experiences that comprise Buckminster Fuller’s notion of Universe, and more and more of the Ethnosphere (Wade Davis’ cultural analogue of the biosphere). Buckminster Fuller described the approach as “macro-comprehensive and micro-incisive”.

Collaborating for Comprehensivism is an emerging initiative to energize humanity’s collective intelligence through group conversations that facilitate incrementally the formation of ever broader and deeper and more integrated understandings of our worlds and its peoples.

Mailing List

To receive a weekly update about forthcoming events, please submit a request to join the “Collaborating for Comprehensivism” announcements-only mailing list.

Other Comprehensivist Wednesday's Series News Releases

Jan

2021

January 2021 Update on Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Since the December 29th update, Comprehensivist Wednesdays has organized six events. This update documents four forthcoming events and collects resources including event descriptions, video, and essays from the six most recent past events.

Four Forthcoming Events

Wed 27 January 2021 9PM (New York time): Destruction & Creation: A Method of Thinking by John Boyd (Event Page at Thinking Society).
Wed 3 February 2021 9PM (New York time): Ignorance & Questions (Event Page at Thinking Society). Exploring Stuart Firestein work on science and ignorance.
Sun 7 February 2021 9PM (New York time): Dante’s “La Vita Nuova”: Reading Dante in 2021 (Event Page at Thinking Society). Check out the companion page Reading Dante in 2021.
Wed 10 February 2021 9PM (New York time): Thoughts on CHANGE from 103 Great Ideas (Event Page at Thinking Society).

The Six Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

30 December 2020: What Will You Be Exploring in 2021? (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
6 January 2021: Come Celebrate 700 Years of Dante (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Reading Dante in 2021
- Video (1h 42m): Dante: Celebrating 700 Years
10 January 2021: “The Power of Polymathy” with Angela Cotellessa (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas).
- Video (1h 38m): Power of Polymathy
13 January 2021: “The Inductive Attitude: The Moral Basis of Science” with CJ Fearnley (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Exploring George Pólya’s epistemic virtue for learning from experience and its implications for comprehensivism.
- Essay on “The Inductive Attitude: The Moral Basis of Science”
- Video (1h 24m): George Pólya on The Inductive Attitude
20 January: Neuroscience: A Child’s Mind (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Video (1h 12m): Child’s Brain: Developing Brain’s LifeCycle — Neuroscience
24 January 2021: Paradoxes of Polymathy with Dr. Angela Cotellessa (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas).
- Video (1h 34m): Paradoxes of Polymathy

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Mailing List

To receive a weekly update about forthcoming events, please submit a request to join the “Collaborating for Comprehensivism” announcements-only mailing list.

Other Comprehensivist Wednesday's Series News Releases

Dec

2020

December 2020 Update on Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Since the November 23th update, Comprehensivist Wednesdays has organized eight events. This update documents three forthcoming events and collects resources including event descriptions, video, and essays from the seven most recent past events.

Three Forthcoming Events

Wed 30 December 2020 9PM (New York time): What Will You Be Exploring in 2021? (Event Page at Thinking Society). Come share your plans with others. Each attendee will get 5 minutes to talk about any field they are exploring or are planning to explore.
Wed 6 January 2021 9PM (New York time): Event on the Legacy of Dante Alighieri (1265–1321). 2021 is the 7th centenary celebration for the legacy that Dante bequeathed us on his death. Event details are not yet available, but you can check out the companion page Reading Dante in 2021.
Wed 13 January 2021 9PM (New York time): The Inductive Attitude: A Moral Basis for Science and Comprehensivism. Exploring George Pólya’s ideas about plausible reasoning and induction as a moral basis for science and then wondering if the ideas can be extended for comprehensivism.

The Eight Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

25 November 2020: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Exploring David Epstein’s bestseller “Range” about what amounts to the comprehensivist approach.
- Video (2h 30m): Range by David Epstein
29 November 2020: “The Ethos of a Modern Day Polymath” with Dr Angela Cotellessa (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas).
- Video (25m): Michael Ferguson Interview
- Video (1h 17m): Polymath Ethos with Michael Ferguson and Angela Cotellessa
2 December 2020: “Lessons from Interviews with Polymaths” with Dustin Miller (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Video (2h 10m): Polymaths: Dozen Interviews in One
9 December 2020: Understanding Us: Core Concepts in Neuroscience (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Video (2h 40m): Understanding Us: Core Concepts in Neuroscience
13 December 2020: “Polymaths in Organization” with Chris Foltz and Dr. Angela Cotellessa (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas).
- Video (1h 46m): Polymaths in Organization with Chris Foltz
16 December 2020: The Value of Multiple Working Hypotheses with CJ Fearnley (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Exploring T. C. Chamberlin’s epistemic virtue for the learning of the investigator, the student, the citizen, and the comprehensivist. The Value of Multiple Working Hypotheses
- Essay on The Value of Multiple Working Hypotheses
- Video (1h 29m): Value of Multiple Working Hypotheses
23 December: How to be a Super Ager (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Video (2h 10m): How to be a Super Ager
27 December 2020: Future of Work with Angela Cotellessa (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas).
- Video (2h 3m): Future of Work

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Mailing List

To receive a weekly update about forthcoming events, please submit a request to join the “Collaborating for Comprehensivism” announcements-only mailing list.

Other Comprehensivist Wednesday's Series News Releases

Nov

2020

November 2020 Update on Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Since the October 26th update, Comprehensivist Wednesdays has organized seven events. This update documents five forthcoming events and collects resources including event descriptions, video, and essays from the seven most recent past events.

Five Forthcoming Events

Wed 25 November 2020 9PM (New York time): Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (Event Page at Thinking Society). An exploration of the book “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World” by David Epstein.
Sun 29 November 2020 2:30PM (New York time): The Ethos of a Modern Day Polymath with Michael Araki & Dr Angela Cotellessa. An exploration of the “personality anatomy of polymathic people”.
Wed 2 December 2020 9PM (New York time): Lessons from Interviews with Polymaths with Dustin Miller (Event Page at Thinking Society).
Wed 9 December 2020 9PM (New York time): Understanding Us: Core Concepts in Neuroscience
Wed 16 December 2020 9PM (New York time): The Value of Multiple Working Hypotheses (Event Page at Thinking Society). Exploring T. C. Chamberlin’s seminal idea in the practice of science and its applications to comprehensivism.

The Seven Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

28 October 2020: Systems Thinking of Russell Ackoff (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Exploring the ideas of systems thinking pioneer Russell Ackoff.
- Video (1h 29m): Russell Ackoff & Systems Thinking
31 October 2020: Synergy: Buckminster Fuller’s Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas).
- Exploring one of Bucky’s central ideas from “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth”
- Video (1h 17m): Buckminster Fuller: Synergy & Wealth
1 November 2020: How To Become a Polymath with Dr Angela Cotellessa, Dustin Miller, & Eric Trules (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas).
- Video (1h 51m): How To Become a Polymath
4 November 2020: Learn by Teaching — Try it for 5 Minutes (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Some 20 participants presented about their diverse learning: a comprehensivist’s smorgasbord! Topics included: Limits of learning, Learning to Learn, Experience of Teaching, How to help kids learn, Learning the Tibetan language, Positive disintegration, Agent based modeling, Criminal justice reform, Risk management, System/Design/Behavioral thinking, Hindu philosophy, Ken Burn documentaries, Love of Power, Consciousness, Grounding of ideas, Systematic comprehensivist education, Positive psychology, Building websites with Raspberry Pi, and more.
- Video (2h 36m): Learn by Teaching
7 November 2020: Bucky Fuller’s Main Theses in “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth” with CJ Fearnley (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas).
- Essay on “Comprehensively Commanded Automation”
- Video (1h 40m): Buckminster Fuller: Main Theses of “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth”
11 November 2020: Syntopical Reading, Great Ideas & The Great Conversation (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Video (1h 43m): Syntopical Reading & Great Ideas
18 November 2020: The Value of The Ethnosphere with CJ Fearnley (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Exploring the value of the Ethnosphere and its connection to comprehensivist learning.
- Essay on The Value of The Ethnosphere
- Video (1h 30m): Value of the Ethnosphere

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Collaborating for Comprehensivism is an emerging initiative to energize humanity’s collective intelligence through collaborations that facilitate incrementally the formation of ever broader and deeper understandings of our worlds and its peoples.

Mailing List

To receive a weekly update about forthcoming events, please submit a request to join the “Collaborating for Comprehensivism” announcements-only mailing list.

Other Comprehensivist Wednesday's Series News Releases

Oct

2020

October 2020 Update on Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Since the September 28th update, Comprehensivist Wednesdays has organized six events. This update documents seven forthcoming events and collects resources including event descriptions, video, and essays from the six most recent past events.

Seven Forthcoming Events

Wed 28 October 2020 9@PM (New York time): Systems Thinking by Russell Ackoff (Event Page at Thinking Society). Exploring the ideas of this systems thinking pioneer. Excellent resources are in the full event description.
Sat 31 October 2020 2:30@PM (New York time): Synergy: Buckminster Fuller’s Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth. Exploring one of Bucky’s central ideas from “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth”
Sun 1 November 2020 2:30@PM (New York time): Event on Polymaths with Dr. Angela Cotellessa Check the 52 Living Ideas calendar in a few days for the not-yet-available event description
Wed 4 November 2020 9@PM (New York time): To Be Determined
Sat 7 November 2020 2:30@PM (New York time): Topic on Buckminster Fuller’s “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth”: Details to be determined
Wed 11 November 2020 9@PM (New York time): To Be Determined
Wed 18 November 2020 9@PM (New York time): The Value of The Ethnosphere with CJ Fearnley

The Six Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

30 September 2020: Polymath Power with Michael Araki (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- Video (1h 21m): Polymath Power: Breaking limitations of disciplinary thinking by Michael Araki
14 October 2020: The Comprehensive Thinking of R. Buckminster Fuller with CJ Fearnley (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society).
- This topic was based on the 1969 book “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth” by R. Buckminster Fuller. This event inspired Shrikant to organize a whole series to explore Bucky’s book in more depth.
- Essay on The Comprehensive Thinking of R. Buckminster Fuller
- Video (1h 41m): “The Comprehensive Thinking of R. Buckminster Fuller”
17 October 2020: Buckminster Fuller’s Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth—1&2: The Great Pirates (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas)
- Video (50m): Buckminster Fuller’s Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth: The Great Pirates — Traders & Farmers
21 October 2020: Neuroscience of Mindfulness: Its Powers and Limits (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas) (Event Page at Thinking Society
- Video (2h 5m): Neuroscience of Mindfulness
24 October 2020: General Systems Theory: Buckminster Fuller: Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas)
- Video (1h 22m): Buckminster Fuller’s Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth: General Systems Theory
25 October 2020: Systems Engineering and You with Tom Gilb (Event Page at 52 Living Ideas)
- Video (1h 22m): Systems Engineering and You with Tom Gilb

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Comprehensivist Wednesdays is an on-going series of weekly events designed to foster the art of comprehensivity, the state or quality of considering with ever increasing depth and breadth more and more of Humanity’s great traditions of inquiry and action to better comprehend how our worlds work and how they change so we can live more effective lives. Buckminster Fuller described the approach as “macro-comprehensive and micro-incisive”.

Mailing List

To receive a weekly update about forthcoming events, please submit a request to join the “Collaborating for Comprehensivism” announcements-only mailing list.

Three Forthcoming Events

The 11 Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

Mailing List

Other Comprehensivist Wednesday's Series News Releases

Two Forthcoming Events

The 10 Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

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Other Comprehensivist Wednesday's Series News Releases

Four Forthcoming Events

The Six Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

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Other Comprehensivist Wednesday's Series News Releases

Three Forthcoming Events

The Eight Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

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Other Comprehensivist Wednesday's Series News Releases

Five Forthcoming Events

The Seven Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

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Other Comprehensivist Wednesday's Series News Releases

Seven Forthcoming Events

The Six Most Recent Past Events including video links and essays

About Comprehensivist Wednesdays

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Addendum: Other Comprehensivist Wednesday's Series News Releases

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