The Phronetic Principle

Whitehead has described the history of Philosophy as a series of 'footnotes to Plato'. If so, then it may be time for a new chapter, if not a new book. Plato is an advocate of what I have called the 'Humpty Dumpty' cosmogonic paradigm, namely, that human existence is the product of a catastrophic cosmic fragmentation. This is a paradigm that transcends Plato's influence, because it informs virtually every religious and ideological doctrine hitherto, e. g. the 'Fall'. Consequently, these doctrines are, furthermore, fundamentally programs that aim to 'put Humpty back together again'. Two specific intellectual expressions of the commitment to such a paradigm are, therefore, first, the denigration of the disruptions of Unity, i. e. Multiplicity, Plurality, Diversity, etc., and, second, that the function of Phronetic enterprises such as 'Ethics' and 'Morality' is to correct Multiplicity, etc. in all their manifestations, e. g. divergence from societal norms. But the emergence of Evolutionary Theory presents a challenge to the Humpty Dumpty model, namely the Evolvemental paradigm, which is a development from lesser to greater complexity. So, first, since Complexity entails Diversity, the traditional denigration of the latter and related concepts is also rejected, e. g. Becoming-Diverse is a fundamental Systematic Principle. Second, with no pre-inscribed ideal of Unity, e. g. the pre-Fall Humpty Dumpty, Evolvement has no implicit telos governing it, and, is, hence, essentially indefinite. Finally, therefore, the fundamental function of Practical Wisdom, rather than to correct wayward behavior, is to promote Individual Evolvement. Hence, the Phronetic Principle is 'Evolve as much as possible'.