Part 1: Ecological Conception of Intelligenism — Theoretical Differentiation

With the proposal of a theory, theoretical differentiation inevitably follows. Theoretical differentiation originates from a theoretical source, which can be understood as the trunk of a tree. In contrast, theoretical differentiation can be seen as the branching out (refinement and extension) from that trunk. It stems from the continuous deepening and extension of the trunk theory. When a theory extends to particular nodes, different individuals who agree on the same theoretical source may propose differing perspectives during the continued deduction, interpretation, and application of the theory, leading to theoretical differentiation. After differentiation occurs, theories can continue to extend and refine, potentially leading to further differentiation. In this process, the expansion of the theoretical tree exhibits a fractal expansion characteristic. Although new perspectives are continually proposed during theoretical differentiation, the overall process remains an extension within the same theoretical paradigm (refer to Thomas Kuhn’s definition of paradigm).

Unlike theoretical differentiation, a theoretical proposal can be defined as the introduction of a source theory or a sub-theory under its extension. When more than one sub-theory emerges at a particular node of theoretical extension, that node is defined as theoretical differentiation. Thus, a theoretical proposal is not necessarily theoretical differentiation, but theoretical differentiation is always a form of theoretical proposal to some extent. Considering that a theoretical proposal can be defined as the emergence of a source theory, it follows that a theoretical proposal (trunk theory) must precede theoretical differentiation (the proposal of sub-theories).

With the proposal of the overall theoretical framework of Intelligenism in this book, different individuals will inevitably propose other perspectives based on their cognition and practical experience. When we define the form of theoretical proposal as distributed, these new perspectives and theories proposed by other individuals can be considered both a theoretical differentiation of this book’s theory and a theoretical proposal within the Intelligenism container. The definitions of theoretical proposal and theoretical differentiation overlap; some theories are both products of differentiation from a source theory and can simultaneously be defined as theoretical proposals.

In any case, theoretical proposals and differentiation inevitably stem from discussion and critique of existing source theories. When various theories emerge through different media, discussions and critiques based on the proposed theories will follow, leading to theoretical differentiation and the proposal of new theories. Returning to the ecological construction of the Intelligenism conceptual theory, this chapter needs to provide a foundational conception of the theoretical ecosystem of Intelligenism. Its theoretical manifestations will inevitably take various forms, such as books or blogs. Considering that the foundation of theoretical differentiation is discussion, questioning, and critique, its carriers can include forums, multiple forums, podcast comment sections, or communication mailboxes provided in books, among other forms. While these carriers may seem commonplace to people today, it is still necessary to emphasize their essential role as the foundation for theoretical differentiation. This means that the theoretical ecosystem of Intelligenism must encourage the use of different carriers as fertile ground for the evolution of its theories.

Given that theoretical differentiation (theoretical extension) is a necessary step in the process of constructing the Intelligent Consortium, theoretical proposers need to seek suitable communication platforms to promote and achieve theoretical differentiation. Moreover, the discussion platforms for promoting theoretical differentiation are themselves products of the organizational network of the Intelligent Consortium. It is foreseeable that in the early stages of Intelligenism, the functions of the Intelligent Consortium’s organizational network can also be positioned to provide services for the organizational construction of other, or even its own, Intelligent Consortiums. While I acknowledge that platforms for theoretical differentiation should exhibit multi-point emergence, decentralization, and distributed characteristics, the information aggregation function of communication platforms remains essential, as the collision of information can drive further theoretical differentiation and the proposal of new theories.

Under the settings of Intelligenism regarding theoretical proposal and differentiation, if theoretical proposers (including the author) aim to build an Intelligent Consortium based on their own theories, they should consider providing sufficiently open discussion platforms (such as comment sections, forums, communication mailboxes, or even live debates). They could further share perspectives from other discussion platforms on their own platforms to increase the volume of information, thereby promoting the differentiation of their own theories and the optimization and reconstruction of existing theories.