💭 Concepts & Ideas

“The concept is not identical with being, but that nonidentity is itself the expression of the concept.” — Hegel

⟡ Overview ⟡

This section contains the core philosophical concepts that form the foundation of the Becoming Constellations framework. Each concept is explored both in its theoretical development and practical applications, maintaining the dialectical tension between abstract thinking and concrete praxis.

⟡ Core Dialectical Concepts ⟡

Temporal Consciousness

Messianic Time Benjamin’s alternative to homogeneous, empty time

  • Revolutionary interruption of linear progression
  • Recognition of redemptive potential in each moment
  • Connection to mystical traditions of sacred temporality

Jetztzeit (Now-Time) The charged moment of revolutionary possibility

  • Historical consciousness crystallized in present awareness
  • Dialectical synthesis of past, present, and future
  • Practical applications in organizing and activism

Monad Crystallized fragments of historical consciousness

  • Leibnizian influence on Benjamin’s thought
  • Concentrated moments where universal patterns become visible
  • Methodological tool for constellation construction

Dialectical Movement

Aufhebung (Sublation) Hegelian process of preservation, negation, and transcendence

  • Simultaneous cancellation and elevation
  • Retaining essential elements while transforming the whole
  • Applications in social and economic transformation

Dialectical Image Visual manifestation of historical contradictions

  • Benjamin’s contribution to materialist dialectics
  • Images that contain their own critique
  • Contemporary applications in media and cultural work

Negation The driving force of dialectical development

  • Simple vs. determinate negation
  • Creative destruction in social transformation
  • Relationship to revolutionary praxis

Historical Consciousness

Angel of History Benjamin’s image of witnessing accumulated catastrophe

  • Storm of progress vs. messianic intervention
  • Historical materialism with theological dimension
  • Contemporary relevance to climate crisis

Constellation Meaningful alignment of disparate elements

  • Methodological approach to understanding complexity
  • Creating synthesis without reducing difference
  • Practical tool for organizing and coalition building

Tradition and Transmission How the past remains alive in the present

  • Benjamin’s critique of historicism
  • Active relationship to cultural inheritance
  • Building alternative traditions

⟡ Mystical & Spiritual Concepts ⟡

Cross-Cultural Synthesis

Apparent) Islamic dialectical framework

  • Esoteric and exoteric dimensions of reality
  • Integration with Benjamin’s concept of dialectical images
  • Applications in community organizing

Dharma and Cosmic Order Hindu conception of righteous action

  • Individual duty within cosmic framework
  • Relationship to historical materialism
  • Regenerative practice as dharmic action

Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) Jewish mystical concept of cosmic restoration

  • Connections to Benjamin’s messianic thinking
  • Individual and collective responsibility
  • Regenerative work as spiritual practice

Temporal Awareness

Paksha System Hindu division of lunar month

  • Bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) and dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha)
  • Cyclical consciousness vs. linear time
  • Integration with Mondeszetteln practice

Hijri Temporal Consciousness Islamic lunar calendar awareness

  • Day beginning at sunset
  • Sacred rhythm vs. industrial time
  • Community coordination through shared temporality

⟡ Political & Economic Concepts ⟡

Transformation Strategies

Dual Power Building alternative institutions while critiquing existing systems

  • Gramsci’s contribution to revolutionary strategy
  • Prefigurative politics and systemic change
  • Contemporary applications in movement building

Commons Shared resources and collective governance

  • Alternative to private property and state control
  • Ecological and digital commons
  • Governance structures for shared resources

Cooperation Economic organization based on mutual aid

  • Worker, consumer, and platform cooperatives
  • Democratic ownership and governance
  • Integration with regenerative principles

Regenerative Frameworks

Regeneration Going beyond sustainability to healing

  • Ecological restoration and social healing
  • Systems thinking and feedback loops
  • Economic models for regenerative practice

Bioregionalism Organization based on ecological boundaries

  • Watershed-based governance
  • Local knowledge and adaptive management
  • Integration of human and natural systems

Gift Economy Economic relations based on reciprocity

  • Mauss’s anthropological insights
  • Indigenous economic practices
  • Contemporary applications in digital systems

⟡ Methodological Concepts ⟡

Research & Practice

Praxis Integration of theory and practice

  • Marx’s contribution to dialectical method
  • Action research and participatory inquiry
  • Reflective practice and continuous learning

Participatory Action Research Community-based knowledge production

  • Democratizing research process
  • Knowledge for transformation rather than domination
  • Integration with movement building

Popular Education Critical pedagogy for social transformation

  • Freire’s critical consciousness development
  • Community-based learning and skill sharing
  • Cultural work and consciousness raising

Organizational Development

Sociocracy Governance based on equivalence and consent

  • Circle-based decision making
  • Dynamic governance and continuous adaptation
  • Integration with cooperative principles

Restorative Justice Healing-centered approaches to conflict

  • Community accountability vs. punitive justice
  • Indigenous wisdom and contemporary applications
  • Building regenerative relationships

⟡ Emerging Concepts ⟡

Contemporary Developments

Solarpunk Optimistic vision of sustainable futures

  • Art, literature, and political movement
  • Technology for regeneration rather than extraction
  • Integration with traditional ecological knowledge

Metamodernism Cultural paradigm beyond postmodernism

  • Sincere engagement with grand narratives
  • Oscillation between hope and doubt
  • Connections to Benjamin’s dialectical thinking

Decolonization Undoing colonial structures and relationships

  • Land back and sovereignty movements
  • Epistemic decolonization and indigenous knowledge
  • Integration with regenerative practice

⟡ Concept Development Process ⟡

Methodology

  1. Historical Analysis - Tracing concept development through time
  2. Cross-Cultural Synthesis - Finding patterns across traditions
  3. Contemporary Application - Practical implementation in current context
  4. Dialectical Critique - Understanding internal contradictions and development

Templates


“The tradition of the oppressed teaches us that the ‘state of emergency’ in which we live is not the exception but the rule.” — Walter Benjamin

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