Cathedral thinking

People & Nature

Jun 1

How medieval thinking can help shape the future

Summary - The question how we can solve enormous problems such as climate change tends to freeze people. Where to start? How can a politician who maybe has only one term initiate and finish a project of this magnitude? More often than not, history provides an example of how the ingenuity of mankind solves ostensibly impossible tasks. Cathedral thinking, a mindset derived from medieval thinking, is about thinking in multiple generations, rather than one lifetime. When thinking in generations as opposed to one lifetime or even term, the perspective changes.

Introduction

Have you ever really looked at the words “Dark Ages”? In retrospect, humans have called it the Dark Ages, as if no substantial progress was made in this period. People find it easy to neglect the period as insignificant on many fronts, but today we focus on an interesting feature of something that was common in those ages, but is not in the present. In the Dark Ages, architects who embarked on big projects, such as building cathedrals, knew beforehand they weren’t going to finish it. Cathedral thinking means that you take pleasure in doing things that do not immediately benefit you, but which you know future generations will be able to enjoy.

Were the people in the Dark Ages so altruistic? The short answer is no. However, in those times the people did posses a mindset that focuses more on the afterlife rather than the present. Religion was part of everyday life and rather than living in the now, the focus lies more on the horizon. People worked in the present to enable future glory. During the Enlightenment Age, religion was ridiculed for its irrationality and a trend started where religion played a less significant role in everyday life, especially in the West. There became less emphasis on the afterlife and more on the here and now. In a modern day society where attributes such as speed and convenience are most salient, the definition of long term changed from generations to quarterly profit reviews.

Now that humankind is also facing (apparently) difficult choices concerning future generations, cathedral thinking may pose an interesting idea for policy making. So how can we revive the “cathedral thinking mindset”?

St. Johns Cathedral

The St. Johns Cathedral in Den Bosch was built in 1220 and finished in 1340. However, finished is a misleading word. After 1340, many extensions and alterations were made (it was made Gothic for example). True example of Cathedral Thinking.

Notre Dame

The cathedral's construction began in 1163 and was largely complete by 1260, though it was modified frequently in the following centuries.

How to revive cathedral thinking

Purpose

Humans strive for purpose. We want our lives to mean something in the end. Consumerism has actually led to existential anxiety for mankind. What people strive for is a purpose that unites us, rather than divide us. The Apollo program is a famous example where purpose exceeded profit and people felt connected to the mission (despite the fact the program was an astounding economic success in the long term). Those kind of projects provide a mirror where people don't merely see themselves and individuals, but as part of a larger whole - humanity. We see ourselves as a connected species instead of independent tribes.

Mastery

When the architects designed and started building the cathedrals in the Dark Ages, there was some personal reward. Not in terms of money, but rather an opportunity to exhibit their mastery of their craft. People often want to do something for free, if they can do something they are good at. Think of Wikipedia and Reddit, the open source platforms where people share their knowledge for free. People who attend these platforms do not pursue profit but rather want to demonstrate their mastery and enjoy the pleasure of teaching.

Autonomy

We have lost faith in future generations. When the US constitution was made, it was a compact end product, envisioning that future generations will build upon the foundations laid by the Founding Fathers. For example, the US constitution consists of 5400 pages. On the contrary, Obama Care counts a whopping 9000 pages. Bills and laws are now so tightly written, that they dictate both the present and the future.

In the Tedx talk about cathedral thinking, a good analogy is given. The concept of cathedral thinking is compared to a video game, where certain points have to be reached to be able to save the game. These are called save points. When people envision cathedral type projects, an inspiring and unifying goal is crucial and a clear vision should be postulated. After that, each generation should be allowed to complete their stage of the project however they see fit so that we can tap into future creativity and technologies. Cathedral thinking cuts large projects, such as climate change, into manageable pieces and also gratifies the sense of purpose along the way.

One must also be aware however that this should not be a means to postpone drastic measure in the present. It means that people should do to everything they can in the present, but then “pass the stick” to the next generation.

Passing the stick in a relay race can be compared to cathedral thinking on longer timescales.

Discussion

Regardless of political preference, several forms of government (including autocratic systems) provide excellent opportunities for long term planning. However, in Europe and the US autocratic governing systems are less likely to be successful. If the system in western countries in itself is unsuitable for long term thinking, how can we ensure that the latter is realized? By changing the mindset from focusing solely on the present, towards thinking about the future.

Be proactive in what you can do. Our behavior is function of our decisions, not our conditions. Proactivity means more than taking initiative, it means that we are responsible for our own lives as human beings. We are free to choose our actions, but in doing so, we choose the attendant consequence.

“When we pick up one end of the stick, we pick up the other.” Moreover, continuing on the analogy of a relay race; if you finished your sprint did you do everything that was in your power in terms of sustainable behavior? And when you pass the stick to the next (generation), do you have confidence that the one who is taking over will do so successfully? Or even do better? That is, are you allowing the thought that the one taking over the stick might be Usain Bolt?

Changing the mindset can be done by posing a simple question when making decisions: Will the outcome benefit future generations?