Tree of Knowledge system
Tree of Knowledge (ToK) System is a kind of map that traces the cosmic evolution on the basis of three planes of existence: Matter, Mind, Life and Culture which comes under physical, psychological, biological and social parts of science. This system was developed by GreggHenriques, Professor and Core-faculty member at James Madison University. Henrique described a consilient scientific humanistic philosophy which is a larger unified knowledge theory and the ToK system is a part of it.
The ToK system’s first outline was published in Review of General Philosophy in 2003. According to the Unified Theory of Knowledge- It is a theory of knowledge that defines the human knower in relation to the known. This system allows truth to emerge by providing a macro-level conception of context which helps us to put our scientific facts into an overachieving conception of context. The Tok system in some ways reflects a common hierarchy of science and nature that has been around for centuries in one way or another. For example: In the 19th century, Auguste Comte had argued about the existence of sociology using a hierarchical conception of nature.
One of the most important features of the Tok system is representing reality having four different planes of existence. The theory explains that Matter, Mind, Life and Culture, each represents complex adaptive landscapes that are mediated and organised by emerging communication systems and information processing systems. One of the most crucial features of the system is the dimension of complexity argument or the separable planes of existence. It is believed by many that nature is levelled hierarchically. Now, the Tok system accepts nature in level formats but also adds the fact that the levels are separated by dimensions of complexity.
Different planes of existence:
- The Matter/object plane of existence: This is mapped by physical sciences which describe the behaviour of material objects. The non-living matter has a great range of complexity from a minute subatomic particle to a large-sized organic molecule
- The Life/Organism plane of existence: This is mapped by biological sciences and this dimension deals with organisms and their behaviours throughout their life. Here, living objects can also be considered as a subset of material objects.
- The Mind/Animal plane of existence: This is mapped by psychological sciences and deals with a set of mental behaviours.
- The Culture/Person plane of existence: mapped by Human Social Science. This dimension refers to sociolinguistic behaviours which also had a wide variety ranging from large scale nations to individual human beings justifications for any particular actions.
Now, ToK not only offers the above-mentioned dimensions but along with these, it also offers interlocking theoretical joint points which are believed to provide new avenues of knowledge.
These theoretical joint points are:
- Quantum Gravity: It refers to the imaginative merger between two fields of physical science: Quantum mechanics (study of microscopic objects) and General relativity (study of macroscopic objects)
- The Modern Synthesis: It refers to the merger of natural selection with genetics and provides a complete framework for understanding the emergence of biological complexity.
- Behavioral Investment Theory: It is a metatheoretical formulation for brain, animal and mind behavioral sciences. It allows the merger of information science of cognitive neuroscience which has conceptual parallels with modern synthesis, with selective science of behaviorism.
- Justifications System Theory: Earlier known as Justification Hypothesis. It explains that the language evolution reached its tipping point with the emergence of propositional claims. These claims can be questioned which creates the “question-answer” dynamics.