Denke is die mees uitsonderlike vermoë van mense. Vir mense om volwaardige mense te
wees, is die volle ontwikkeling van hierdie vermoë noodsaaklik. Wanneer dit afgeskeep
word, word mense tot minder as mense en alle verhoudinge waarby mense betrokke is ly op
een of ander wyse skade. Hierdie skade kan mettertyd katastrofiese afmetings aanneem. Dit
kan samelewings in duie laat stort; dit kan selfs die ondergang van beskawings beteken.
Hierdie artikel besin oor die belangrikheid van meervoudige of komposisionele denke, as
die ideale denkvorm, oor die wesenlike probleem dat denkontwikkeling verhinder word
omdat daar eerder op enkelvoudige denke, as maklik aanleerbare denkvorm, klem gelê word
en oor die moontlike armoedige gevolge hiervan vir indiwidue en samelewings van sodanige
strategieë, soos dit veral in institusionele verbande tot uitdrukking kom, verwesenlik word,
selfs afgedwing word: onderwys, politiek, kultuur. Die versmoring/vermoording van denke
word ‘n werklikheid. Uiteindelik word enkelvoudige denke die houding van die hele
samelewing.
Die ernstige afmetinge wat die verlies aan deeglike denke reeds aangeneem het, is van groot
omvang. Dit raak skole, universiteite, wetenskapwerk, politieke instellings, administratiewe
aktiwiteite oor ‘n breë spektrum – eintlik alreeds die hele samelewing. Hiermee word ons
voor groot uitdaginge gestel. Indien hierdie oorwoë argumente geldig is, soos baie
inderdaad beweer, moet die situasie ten alle koste omgekeer word. Voorstelle word in
hierdie verband gemaak.
Dit is allereers nodig om die gebrekkigheid van gebrekkige denke en die gevolge daarvan te
bedink. Verder moet besef word dat gesindheid en ingesteldheid ten opsigte van armoedige
denke moet verander, die armoede daarvan moet aanvaar word en ook dat ander denkweë
moontlik is. Terselfdertyd behoort ‘n besef lewendig gehou te word dat die kompleksiteit
van die werklikheid, mensewerklikheid en natuurwerklikheid, groot en meervoudig in
omvang is. Geen enkelvoudige, lineêre en dus reduktiewe denke, sou afdoende antwoorde
op hierdie uitdagings van so ‘n werklikheid kon verskaf nie. Slegs denke wat bereid is om
die volle rykdom van die werklike te aanvaar en dienooreenkomstig aan die dink te raak, kan
hoop op sinverwesenliking en mens-en werklikheidsverryking bewerkstellig.
Thought is the most distinct ability of humans. For humans to be fully developed beings
the full development of this ability is required. When this is neglected humans become less
human and all relationships humans are involved with will be damaged. This damage can
with time assume catastrophic proportions. It can cause the collapse of societies and even
the downfall of civilisations.
This article reflects on the importance of multiple or compositional thinking as the ideal
mode of thinking, on the essential problem that thought development is hindered by the
preferable emphasis on simplified thinking, as the easily adoptable mode of thinking, and
on the possible impoverishing consequences for individuals and societies of such strategies
as it finds expression, comes to fruition and are enforced in institutional contexts:
education, politics, culture. The smothering/killing of multiple thinking takes effect.
Eventually simplified thinking becomes the general attitude in society as a whole.
The alarming proportions already assumed due to the loss of thorough thinking are
immense. It affects schools, universities, scientific work, political institutions, and
administrative activities over a broad spectrum – as a matter of fact already the whole of
society. We are confronted hereby with enormous challenges. In case these considered
arguments are valid, as many would suggest, the situation has urgently to be reversed.
Some proposals in this regard are made.
It is first of all required to ponder the limitations of limited thought and its consequences.
Additional to this it is necessary to realise that attitudes regarding poor thinking should be
changed, that the poverty thereof be accepted, and that alternative thought routes are
available. At the same time an awareness of the complexity of reality, human reality as well
as natural reality, in its multiplicity and scope, should be kept vividly alive. No simplified,
linear, and hence reductive thinking can offer adequate answers to the challenges of such a
reality. Only a thought, willing to accept this and to think accordingly, will have a hope of
the fulfilment of meaning and the enrichment of humans and reality.
