Scientific frameworks
Evolution is based on three forces that participate in the unfolding of life – variation, selection, and retention. Darwin didn’t initially limit this view of life to genetic evolution. He saw evidence of evolution all around. Multi-level selection is a theory that has gained wider and wider acceptance. The implications are profound. It validates group selection and means that we have a scientific framework to try and understand human activity (not just genes but complex behavior and culture) based on variation, selection, and retention. Evolution science tells us that humanity has not evolved simply from selfish, competitive, or might makes right forces but largely from cooperation and the ability to act altruistically for the good of the group.
Humans are evolving and changing ourselves and the world around us with more capacity. Much of the way we are changing the world is unwanted and poses risks to countless species – including our own. Understanding the mechanisms and scope of evolution can help us better assess and engage in evolving a world that we value.
Contextual behavioral science is focused on researching and applying theories of human behavior in valued ways. Applications include; relational frame theory (RFT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), compassion focused therapy (CFT), and functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP). These applications are primarily utilized in individual therapy contexts. The overlap between behavioral science and evolution science was hinted at by BF Skinner’s use of the phrase “selection by consequences” when referring to operant conditioning.
Psychological flexibility is one of the most exciting concepts that has come from the field of contextual behavioral science. It is defined as “the ability to stay in contact with the present moment regardless of unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, while choosing one’s behaviors based on the situation and personal values.” (link to reference)
Complex systems/ systems thinking is a field of study and way of thinking about ecosystems, organisms, and culture among other phenomena with emergent properties. Elinor Ostrom won the nobel prize in 2012 for her work studying communities that manage common pool resources effectively. She described 8 design principles utilized by diverse groups that didn’t follow a privatized market or a centralized government model.
Social workers are taught to assess and intervene with a “person in the environment approach.” Contextual behaviorists are trained to assess behavior as always being embedded in context.
When thinking about systems related to expanding compassion, we can consider what would it take to increase compassion at multiple levels; that of the individual, family, group/ community, cultural, national, international, species, and global levels.
Prosocial
The three fields of evolution science, contextual behavioral science, and complex systems are converging in exciting ways. David Sloan Wilson worked with Elinor Ostrom to adapt her 8 descriptive design principles into 8 prescriptive core design principles (CDPs). Prosocial is a nascent research and practice community that has emerged from the convergence of these fields. It focuses on enhancing the psychological flexibility (described above) on individuals and groups and using the 8 CDPs to assess and plan for the thriving of individuals and the group as a whole.
The framework is there to scale prosocial attitudes and behaviors to groups, communities, and groups of groups up to the planetary level.
The 8 CDPs for thriving groups are:
- Shared identity and purpose
- Fair distribution of benefits and contributions
- Inclusive decision making
- Monitoring and transparency (culture of openness and accountability)
- Graduated and effective responding to prosocial and antisocial behavior
- Fast and effective conflict resolution
- Appropriate group autonomy
- Ability to work well with outside groups
Non-scientific frameworks*
*Even though the following frameworks are considering non-scientific, researchers in evolution science and contextual behavioral science are assessing them through scientific framings in ways that shows their importance and power in shaping our collective meaning making and actions.
Contemplative Practices have existed within and alongside major religions and philosophies throughout recorded history. Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, centering prayers, ritual dancing, witnessing, sacred ceremonies that invoke altered states, and other practices emerged that helped humans have a direct experience with something powerful and compelling outside of themselves.
Call it God, Christ, Allah, Higher Power, The Universe, the Higher Self, etc. Whatever the many names we could call this experience, they have become increasingly intertwined with evidence based practices in psychotherapy.
Values/ Compassion
Values are not something that can be measured or even talked about easily. To talk about what matters most to us – we use language and language only stands in for what we mean. The value lies at a deeper place than language for us. Making meaning and cooperating from a place of shared purpose is unique to humans. Compassion as a deep and transcend love that extends even to perceived enemies is a value that is commonly sung about and written about by songwriters, poets, and prophets since human beings have sung, written, and prophesied. This kind of compassion is the one thing that all religions profess to share in common.
Dialectics is a philosophical stance with profound practical applications. A dialectical process is one which synthesizes opposites. The truth of any idea becomes even more true when it contains the truth of its opposing idea. A simplified way to think about dialectics is the formulation: thesis + antithesis = synthesis.
Dialectics as an approach to truth takes a middle path between Absolutism and Relativism. Truth is contextual and changing (the only thing constant is change) – therefore truth is relative to context. At the same time, there are objective ways to measure phenomena in context that allows for important and accurate understanding, prediction, and influence.
Science (observations, measurements, methods, and experiments) and religion (shared narratives, values, and ritual) are both important to expanding compassion in the world.
Something that the best in both science and religion have in common is the qualities of epistemic humility and hopeful courage. These attributes allow for an openness and curiosity about the reality of how little we know while still stepping into the unknown with willingness and purpose.
More examples of dialectical formulations:
