For the Fifth Asian Bioethics Conference and theNinth International Tsukuba Bioethics Roundtable

session "Human Behaviourome Project"

OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE APPROACHESTO CONSIDERING THE HUMAN

BEHAVIOUROME PROJECT (PART 1)

KONSTANTIN S. KHROUTSKI, M.D., Ph.D.

Institute of Medical Education, Novgorod StateUniversity after Yaroslav-the-Wise,

Novgorod Velikiy, Russia

Philosophy is a science...

"Philosophy is a science and therefore, like everyother science, it seeks to establish truths that havebeen strictly proved and are therefore binding forevery thinking being and not only for a particularpeople or nation."

Nicolei O. Lossky

The denying of the existence of the problem of our living world universality

There is one thing I would like to stress primarily: We have got used notto observe the scientific evidence - Earth’s living world is actuallyuniversal in substance. The latter is an indisputable scientific truth at leastsince the 1953 when Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA.As a corollary, we need a scientific approach that universally deals withevery life phenomenon on Earth, including the Behaviourome project aswell. From the logical point of view, universalism is a most natural qualityfor a science exploring life phenomena on Earth: biological, personal(psychological), sociological, ecological, etc. Instead, in the presentreality, we are witnessing that reflections on the meaning of the complexdynamical nature of living systems show an overwhelming multiplicity inapproaches, descriptions, definitions and methodologies. That is to say,the problem of our living world universality is solved, until now, by'denying of existence of the problem '.

From this my claim follows: We meet the task of a novel – universal –understanding of the nature of a human being.

Anthropological Evolutionary Paradox

I would like also to attract attention to the so-called 'AnthropologicalEvolutionary Paradox' in relation to a person and his or her ideas: Man isan uterine element of the one common whole cosmic evolutionaryprocess of the life on Earth (Process or CEPLE, in my abbreviation);however we deny the search for universal evolutionary knowledge andrely on the plural (different and often incompatible) sources of knowledgein defining man’s nature: biological, sociological, psychological, etc. As acorollary, to my mind and with respect to Integrative Mental MappingProject (IMMP), we need a kind of 'synthetic' and 'creative' approach - topropose and substantiate a novel foundation, necessarily on the basis ofuniversalism, for the realisation of the IMMP aim: to comprehend andcount human ideas. In other words, we have a novel great exploratorygoal and are to create a novel theoretical – universal - foundation for itsrealisation, and, hence, to propose a novel conception of "human nature"– a guiding principle for the contemporary mankind. The way of theeclecticism (a field for pluralism) – of mixing (integration) the alreadyexisting philosophical and scientific vehicles into one harmonious sum(aggregate) is a vain way, to my view.

Method 9 - UNIVERSAL FUNCTIONAL REDUCTIONISM IN INTEGRATIVE MENTAL MAPPING

Herein, I see my main task in lucid presentation of theMethod 9 in achieving the goals of the HumanBehaviourome Project. Method 9 is named as UNIVERSALFUNCTIONAL REDUCTIONISM IN INTEGRATIVE MENTALMAPPING. The other name of this method is: THE TENTHCLASS OF COSMIST CREATIVE IDEAS. The latter relatesto the originating article of the project by Darryl Macer: FiniteOr Infinite Mind?: A Proposal For An Integrative MappingProject (EJAIB, 12(6), pp. 203-206). In my response, usingthe original "Emergence Discourse Method" (advanced in theEJAIB 13(1), pp.15-20), I have taken the "Integrative MentalMapping Project Under the 'EDM' Processing", by advancing'The Thesis' (EJAIB, 13(3), pp.93-98). In this, 'The TenthClass of Ideas' was proposed.

Every theory has its own ontology

There is an axiom: Every theoretical (hypothetical)proposal has its own underlying philosophical bases.To my view, with respect to the proposedIntegrative Mental Mapping Project (IMMP), wemeet chiefly with a kind of neo-behaviourism (social-cognitive behaviourism) and, partially, withpsychoanalysis. More basically, IMMP's work lieswithin pragmatism and Cartesian legacy. Indeed, theinitial map of "ideas" is the map of "responses" and,hence, - the map of environmental situations and"influences upon individuals" – influences 'fromwithout'.

The conceptual scheme created by Prof. Darryl Macer

The rethinking of the figure

We see here the obvious features of philosophical functionalism (Putnam, Fodor), whichsays that mental states are constituted by their causal relations to one another and tosensory inputs and behavioural outputs.

I represent the figure again, having added the obviously synonymous terms to it (inbrackets).

The primary tasks of mental mapping

Indeed, what are the primary tasks of mental mapping? They are, citing Prof.Darryl Macer,- to aid in making policy that respects the diversity of people both culturally and

globally;- to include more diversity of ideas in policy frameworks- to offer people assistance when making moral decisions. This would give them

a chance to consider all their ideas, and to make more thoughtful moralchoices;

- to test and implement better bioethics educational methods.Clearly, we are interested primarily in the practical applications of research.Therefore, the ideas, which are sought for, are firstly conceived as instrumentsfor transforming the uneasiness connected with the experience of having aproblem into the satisfaction of some resolution or clarification of it.

This is a truly pragmatistic and instrumentalist approach. Also, as we have seenabove, this is a truly functionalist approach by virtue of its essence. Likewise, ithas the functionalist character insofar it treats the ideas as the function ofachieving the success in the every concrete situation, focusing, in this, on thetotal person - on his or her endeavours to adjust (adapt) to the environment,including the resolution of moral dilemmas.

Pragmatistic (instrumentalist) approach

to the mental mapping

Similarly, the Method 7, elaborated by GrahamDouglas, is another bright example of pragmatistic(instrumentalist) approach to the mental mapping.Indeed, Graham’s SOARA Will Process directlyaims at serving the person to adapt mostsatisfactorily to the given reality (environment).Hence, he likewise conceives of ideas as tools in thesolution of problems in the environment.

The common features of Western philosophy and science: presentism, environmentalism (sociocentrism),

adaptationism, individualism and subject-object relation to the worldMoreover, I claim that the philosophical bases of the methods 1-8 (their criticism is

beyond the goals of my discourse), whatever they represent, bear the commonfeatures of presentism, environmentalism (sociocentrism), adaptationism,individualism and subject-object relation to the world. Due to these bases, a personis the inhabitant of Earth, who is personally responsible to respond actively andconstructively to primary environmental influences and requirements, aiming at theactive adaptation and development, and the achievement of the most high stablenessin the given surroundings and circumstances. In this, the surrounding world for him/heris the given dynamic system of interrelating objects (structures). Ideas and behaviouralacts are among these things and the objects of study as well. All these objects andtheir interrelations are external things to thinking mind or subject and, thus, must beexplored and cognised from the position of separate (independent) observer andexplorer: for their neutralisation, if they are harmful; or subordination and exploitation, ifthey are beneficial; or integration with – "ordering one's life in harmony with one'senvironment by bringing together the relevant parts of both in a way that furthers one'sunique view of excellence at the time." (as it is in the Method 7). Significantly, theinterrelations of a person with the world take place exclusively within the flowing andcontinuing present and predictable future, which is true pragmatic relation to the world.But there is no place for the evolutionary future - of emergence of the successivelyhigher ontogenetic level of a person’s integration into. As it is, for example, the highschool for the school student, or vocational body for the undergraduate, etc.

The Cosmist approach is both the systemic world-view and the methodology of scientific

exploration

Significantly, the Cosmist approach has some similarity withthe trends of pragmatism, instrumentalism and functionalism.But the Cosmist functionalism bears the principaldistinctive qualities. First of all, Cosmist functionalism is boththe systemic world-view and the methodology of scientificexploration: methodology of universal – subject-subject –cognition of life phenomena on Earth, including the entirenumber of the existing ideas and behavioural actions of aperson.

Hence, Cosmist functionalism transcends philosophicalacademic boundaries and autonomously enters the practicalspheres of human life, acting as a methodology ofcomprehending human ideas and behaviours, andintroducing the figure of a cosmist philosopher, who is a trulypractising agent.

Cosmist functionalism studies the entire evolutionary (ontogenetic) process of a man

The currently sanctioned functionalism likewise acts in a practical sphere, but it isrunning exclusively within the present and past times of the living object (humanbeing) under examination. This functionalism does not consider the time ofpersonal (subjective) emergent future in principle, while concentrating on thealready formed (or, which are forming) states, systems and processes. Hence, thecommon philosophical functionalism is always conjoint to the given situation orstate of being, implying basically the solution of an actual problem, or coping witha pathological condition, or dealing with a moral dilemma.

However, man's wellbeing is, of course, the wellbeing (health) within the givensituation or state, or current process, but, generally, of his/her entire lifetime(ontogenesis on the whole, which is macro-process). It is just the point Cosmistfunctionalism substantially differs from the acknowledged philosophicalfunctionalism in the philosophy of mind, sometimes designated as "input-outputfunctionalism, " and which is a variant of the identity theory in solving the mind-body problem. The basic distinction is that Cosmist functionalism studies theentire evolutionary (ontogenetic) process of a subject's (man's) life and, thus,explores necessarily the mental states of the subject’s emergent future as well(this is, for example, the future time of self-sufficient vocational activity for apresent undergraduate).

Original 'Cosmist pragmatism,' 'Cosmist instrumentalism,' and 'Cosmist functionalism'

To perform this, Cosmist functionalism, in contradistinction to theacknowledged philosophical functionalism, depends on the originalphilosophical system of cosmological, ontological, epistemological,anthropological and ethical fundamentals. In other words, I comeforward with an original 'Cosmist pragmatism,' 'Cosmistinstrumentalism,' and 'Cosmist functionalism', which are based onthe primary systemic philosophy. The crucial point of thisoriginative philosophy is that it establishes an ultimate substanceof life on Earth: neither of the physical or biological (of naturalorigin) nor of social origin, but precisely of the cosmic origin, whichis represented by the objective phenomenon and cosmologicalnotion of Process – CEPLE: cosmic evolutionary process of lifeon Earth (my abbreviation for it is simply Process). I have thebrief description of my Cosmist fundamentals in the second part ofmy presentation. Likewise, their full characterisation is given in mypublications (please, see the references; the most exhaustiveinformation is given in the EJAIB, Vol.12 and 13).

ReferencesKhroutski, K.S.: 2000. 'Individual Health: New Definition and Ontological Background', MedicalEthics & Bioethics (Bratislava) 7 (1-2), pp. 14-17.Khroutski, K.S.: 2001. Introducing Philosophical Cosmology. World Futures 57(3): pp. 201-212.Khroutski, K.S. 2002. 'Forwards to Hippocrates': Introducing Doctor of Tomorrow – Physician,

Psychologist, Philosopher', Global Bioethics 15(1-2), pp.13-28.Khroutski, K.S.: 2002. Towards the Bioethics of Individual’s Health: Introduction of the Cosmist

Philosophical Fundamentals. Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 12(1): pp.2-9.

Khroutski, K.S.: 2002. Epistemology of civilised man's diseases. E-Logos(http://nb.vse.cz/kfil/elogos/epistemology/khrout1-02.htm)

Khroutski, K.S., and Peicius, E.: 2003. Introducing the Emergence-Discourse Method toPhilosophy of Medicine and Bioethics: In Search for Rational Comprehension of IndividualHealth. Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 13(1): pp. 15-20. (E-access:http://www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/~macer/ejaib131.htm)

Khroutski, K.S.: 2003. Integrative Mental Mapping Project Under the 'EDM' Processing: TheThesis. Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 13(3): pp. 93-98. (E-access:http://www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/~macer/EJ133/ej133d.htm)

Khroutski, K.S.: 2003. 'Bringing Forward the Philosophy of Universal Science: A Cosmist Concept',E-Logos (http://nb.vse.cz/kfil/elogos/science/khrout1-03.pdf)

Khroutski, K.S. 2003. 'The Cosmist Future of Personalism', Appraisal 4(4), pp. 183-193.Khroutski, K.S.: 2004. 'Universal Anthropology: A Cosmist Approach', Anthropology &

Philosophy (in print).Khroutski, K.S.: 2004. 'The Universalist Future of Contemporary Bio-Science', World Futures

(in print).

In the Cosmist theorising, a crucial point is: In recognising thenotion of Process we obtain the substance to which allEarth's living subjects can be functionally reduced. Everyliving subject on Earth is ultimately a function of Process- of the ultimate self-evolving organism of life. Reasonably,then, every living subject on Earth has its/his/her basic(ultimate, cosmist) functionality (BCF). The notion ofbasic functionality means that any subject is intrinsicallyand basically dedicated for the realisation and executionultimately of this particular function.

The notion of Basic Cosmist Functionality (BCF)precisely reflects this truth that every living subject (man) isultimately the function of Process.

The notion of Basic Cosmist Functionality (BCF)

In my discourse, I am to present two chief principles of theCosmist paradigm. The first is the cornerstone (of the wholeCosmist theoretical edifice) principle of universal functionalreductionism (in relation to life phenomena). Significantly, theproposed universal functional bio-reductionism has the truefunctional essence. This principle is opposed categorically to thecommon morphological (structural-functional) approach: ofreducing living phenomena from biosphere - to populations,organisms, cells, organelles, genes, etc.; or from mankind - tosocieties, social bodies and man ultimately - a member of thesociety. On the contrary, Cosmist 'functional' reductionism meansthat every living subject (organism) on Earth has the health-design: its/his/her BCF - basic inherent and distinct functionality.

The principle of universal functional reductionism

In this line, the second core principle of CosmoBiotypology emerges.The latter establishes, by virtue of Cosmist functionalism, that theperson’s gratifying feelings and perceptions (of his/her vital activity),his/her appropriate social surroundings, and his/her physiological biotype(constitution) has the single basic functional meaning. In this functionaltriunity, the personal (subjective) mental states have the decisivesignificance. Hence, Cosmist theory leads to a 'person-driven' scientificbiomedicine and bioethics, which is aimed at the integration anduniversalisation of subjective and objective knowledge - of theman’s personal experience and psychological, biological, and sociologicaldata about the person (patient) and, thus, unites previously everincompatible scientific and humanistic paradigms. Likewise, Cosmistapproach aspires to give backs to world rational medicine its primordialmain idea of personcentric treatment a patient, coming in the accord withthe words of Hippocrates, father of medicine, that "...the majority of alldiseases does not come from without (like injury or infection), but fromwithin..." (citing B.Aschner, 1941: p.261).

The principle of CosmoBiotypology

Essentially, Cosmist functionalism and universal functional bio-reductionism relies on objective scientific knowledge but, at the sametime, it is primarily person-driven, based on personal feelings andperceptions. Thus, the Cosmist approach denies currently dominantmethaphysicism, adaptationism (presentism), morphocentrism,pathocentrism, sociocentrism and environmentalism of modern life andhumanitarian science, integrating instead the distinct original bases:cosmist wholism and cosmist evolutionism (dialectics), health-centrism, personcentrism and responsible personalism, etc.

I contend and claim that man is not exclusively a creature who isstruggling to survive in the environment and whose ultimate end isadaptation (and who, thus, is environment-centred person, although thishas the vital significance), but who is likewise a cosmos-centred personand, thus, s/he is responsible to realise and carry out the personal uniquehealthy ontogenesis (the entire life process).

Person-driven cosmist evolutionism

Coming to a corollary, I would like, firstly, to underline the threeprincipal notions of the Cosmist paradigm:

1) Process (CEPLE): one common cosmic evolutionary processof life on Earth.

2) Subject, the Cosmist notion of that which underlies theunderstanding of the universality of Process. Subject is always anorganism, process, and integrated functional whole, integratingother subjects in a functional whole and simultaneously beingfunctionally integrated by a superior congenerous subject.

3) Basic Cosmist functionality. The ultimate realisation by thesubject of its/her/his BCF denotes successive and satisfactoryimplementation of the antecedent (foregoing) biological and socialfunctionalities (or needs) and purport the entire healthyontogenesis.

The three principal notions of the Cosmist paradigm

The axis of the proposed Cosmist paradigm is the assertion thatMan (microcosm) is equal to Nature (Biosphere) and Society(Environment), and University on the whole (macrocosm). In this,however, man has the decisive evolutionary significance,determining the future wholesome stages of the whole evolutionaryprocess. Thus, Cosmist approach has ultimately a person-centredcharacter, although it recognises the environmentalism and thestructural-systemic pattern of exploration of the objects ofsurrounding reality. In other words, Cosmist approach is a'subject-subject' approach, but which acts precisely within theobjectivity of the existing reality. The cornerstone of thephilosophical cosmism is the assuming of the universality of theworld (Cosmos) we are living in as its substance. In consequence,the inappropriate position of man in the cosmos is the reason ofher or his unhealthiness and non-wellbeing.

The inappropriate position of man in the cosmos is the reason of his unhealthiness and non-wellbeing

Cosmist approach relates on the three original bases:

1. Ontological basis – original philosophical cosmology, ontology of AbsoluteCosmist Wholism, Cosmist epistemology, axiology, anthropology, bioethics.

2. Methodological basis – Cosmist functional-systemic ('subject-subject')approach to life phenomena cognition.

3. Bioethical basis – of decisive significance of the object of individual's health forthe integrative mental mapping and the advancement of the conception of'Universal Market'.

The core characteristics of the Cosmist approach, versus common approaches, inbrackets, include personcentrism and cosmos-centrism (vs sociocentrim andenvironmentalism), health-centrism (vs pathocentrism), creationism (vsadaptationism), philosophical cosmology – philosophy of Process , andCosmist evolutionism (vs metaphysicism and presentism).

Significantly, these core characteristics are not the displays of the author's originalmentality, but largely the natural expression of Russian (but not Soviet!) cultureand philosophy, brightly expressed, for instance, in the philosophies of Solovyovand Berdyaev.

Three original bases of the Cosmist approach

What are the critical views, aroused to a Cosmist idea? First of all, there is acommon position (having been expressed within the Method 6): mind andconsciousness can never be explained by science as long as science is stuck inphysicalistic or functionalist reductionism.

But the function of what we are talking about?1) Function of a neurophysiological structure?2) Function of a biological organism as a whole?3) Function of a human being as a whole person?4) Function of a social structure?5) Function of Process? Cosmist theory advances the thesis that any living

subject and, consequently, mind and consciousness (mental states) of aperson are ultimately the function of Process – CEPLE, an objectivephenomenon of reality.

Therefore, Cosmist functional thinking is a paradigmatically distinctivefunctional thinking, which, in relation to IMMP, becomes possible primarily onthe personal level and which offers the universal functional reductionism. Thelatter is clearly distinctive from the existing variants "functional reductionism",which turned out to be ineffective by the reason of their ontologicalgroundlessness.

The function of what we are talking about?

In other words, the core point is what we are puttinginto the centre of human ideas consideration:

1. A situation (dilemma, problem)?2. A person – member of the society?3. A societal structure and milieu?4. A person – the function of Process?

What are we putting into the centre of human ideas consideration?

From the other pint of view, we can follow, analogously, the followingtrends of comprehending human ideas and behaviours:

1. Realistic, from crude materialism and scientism – to existentialism andphenomenology;

2. Idealistic, including the personal ultimate aiming at the highest values:of love, beauty, goodness, etc., and harmonious interpersonalcommunication (as this can be supposed in the Method 4);

3. Pragmatic functional, which stresses on purpose, practicality, andutility of human relation to the world;

4. Evolutionistic functional (Cosmist), which treats every living subjecton Earth as evolutionary process and function of Process. Significantly,the Cosmist theory introduces the vital categories of human being andfunctioning – of Adaptational and Creative (Cosmist) creativeactivity. Adaptational has the synonyms of micro-evolutionary,responsive, problem-based, constructive, developmental activity; whileCreative - of macro-evolutionary, inherent, cosmist, transcendingactivity.

Four trends of comprehending human ideas and behaviours

From the all above stated, we might arrive at reasonable conclusions:

i. The new systemic philosophy is needed to lay a foundation for a theorycapable of reflecting the real state of reality, which is that man and theworld form an inseparable whole. The main point is that the standardCartesian view of mind and body, man and world, has become too narrowfor the successful development of bio-science and global culture in general.The new philosophical and methodological search should be, to my mind,personcentric, health-centric, and of wholistic subject-subjectessence.

ii. "Cosmist" is a crucial term in my theory, which reflects the subjective(personal, responsible) and universal (in relation to BCF) integration of asubject in the surrounding world, and stresses the subjective origin of theuniversality of our world.

iii. A "person-driven" Cosmist approach is not merely a demonstration of theneed for a particular approach, but and original philosophy, theory andmethodology based on an original wholistic cosmological and philosophicalfoundation.

The conclusions

iv. The clear distinction of Cosmist theory is that, being naturallyan a priori construction, all its assumptions elicit an a posteriori(empirical) proposition and are thus validated either by naturalscience or by the observation of the natural state of things.Hence, a) Cosmist theory's proposition is a cast in a form thatpermits empirical testing; b) the Cosmist conceptual approachstemming from its original philosophical foundation can be turnedinto a practicable methodology.

v. The integrative mental mapping, for comprehending andcounting of human ideas, is possible exclusively in the area ofconsidering a person's entire natural healthy ontogenetic lifeprocess. The latter naturally calls for bioethics of individual'shealth. In this realm, the objects of pathology (disease), thecurrent moral bioethical dilemmas, although of vital importance,acquire the secondary significance.

The conclusions (continuation)