8. Philosophy For Non-philosophers: About Metamechanics

Some time ago I was invited to present my metamechanical work and philosophy in special educational series called Philosophy For Non-philosophers, produced by TV Slovenia and Slovenian National Commision for UNESCO. In this episode I explain some basic concepts of metamechanics through demonstrations from my working lab called Sonic Central.

2. Why metamechanics?

Term 'technology' is etymologically derived from the ancient Greek word 'techne' which described the work of artisans and craftmen. 'Technicians' of that time were skilled for most of the domestic works, farming and slavery, but their knowledge was heavily based on tradition so they didn't seek for any particular innovative thinking regarding their simple practical problems. And nonetheless, they used slaves as the main energy source.

Most famous thinkers from that era were also not keen about technics. Aristotle saw it as representative of the imperfection of human imitation of nature. And Archimed, one of the greatest engineers of that time, considered it as vulgar and ignoble. For them, the real science was 'episteme' – study of abstract, absolute and eternal principles which define our cosmos.

Term 'machine' is derived from Greek term 'mechane (mechanike)' which was used to describe a stage crane made of wooden beams and pulley systems, used in Greek theaters to bring gods on the stage from above. Hence also the Latin term 'Deus ex machina'. So the notion of mechanics literally derives from machine which enabled gods to unexpectedly intervened and redirected unfair destiny of tragical heroes.

In that context word  'mechanike' was used to describe mechanical trickery, but it also signified technical contrivance and invention.

The birthplace of the mechanics also echoed at the end of 16th century when new genre of literature appeared. 'Theatrum Machinarum' (Theatre Of Machines) was general name for various ilustrated encyclopedias, describing the technology of that era.

 Two thousand years later technology completely lost it's basic mechanical spirit. In pre industrial societies technology served to relieve heavy everyday occupations and keep the spirit high, in industrial era it becomes servant of capital and profit and in information age it becomes instrument of complete control and programming of masses as consumers. Machines are still trickery, even more than ever, but ritual from the theatre was replaced with marketing and entertainment. Market wants for modern machines to be consumed.

But we don't need more machines, machines need more from us.

Although our computer technology seems to be very developed, some basic concepts in our collective unconsciousness are still programmed mechanical manner like Newtonian clockwork concept of the universe (causality, matter and mind divided, objects divided by empty space etc…). If we want to invent post Newtonian meta-machines, we have to quit thinking mechanically first.

Invention of quantuum mechanics almost a century ago gave us concepts and opportunity to take off the materialistic / mechanistic glasses and perceive the world as mysterious manifestation of vibrations, interferations and resonances of energy, where 'particles' does not obey any of Newtonian laws. Unfortunately, for majority of us,  this giant insight into other modes and possibilities of existence still sounds like some esotheric quackery of bunch of crazy scientists and so has nothing to do with our everyday experience.

Quantum mechanics was also able to demonstrate that mind and matter are not separated realities and that there's no 'objective' world without the observer. This cognition brings imagination in completely new context: it's not just playing with images and forms but responsible search for new ways of expression and coexistance. 

In this context science also becomes close to what Alfred Jarry called pataphysics: "the science of imaginary solutions, which symbolically attributes the properties of objects, described by their virtuality, to their lineaments". Most of scientists think that scientific research has nothing to do with imagination. But they forget that all theories, concepts and paradigms are just abstract ideas, which emerged straight from human imagination. 

Many mainstream scientists consider there’s not much left to discover in our world, but they don’t know what Kant, Nietzsche and other philosophers had discovered many years ago: that science does not discover but invent the world we are living in. So artists should teach scientists how to imagine and scientists should help artists to realize their ideas on technical level.

Quantum mechanics opened a new gate to bring closer modern science with mind oriented spiritual teachings and traditions. It’s time (if there’s any time left) to realize, that our consciousness (not just identity) is not ultimately determined, if we can perceive it like meta-machine. There’s no doubt we can shift our consciousness by different breathing techniques, meditation, dance and music, rhythmic visual stimulation, deprivation etc… Experimenting with new forms of self does not shift just our ego based identity but also the very nature of the world we perceive.

We said at the beginning that word 'technology' was derived from Greek term 'techne' which describes practical skills and craftmanship. But in 'technology' we can also find another word 'logos', which Greeks used to name word, meaning and the highest order of creation. During the history of science mechanicism, empirism, reductionism, functionalism, logical positivism and cybernetics reduced the essence of technology to pure technics, senseless global machinery which keeps our civilisation alive and dependant at the same time. Metamechanics is trying to overcome this paradox with methamecanical turn which is called 'logotechnics'. In logotechnics technology is strictly subordinated to production of meaning, but not to optimization and profit. 

»Kraft, ohne Kunst, ist hier umsunst.«

Jacob Leupold – Theatrum Machinarum Generale (1727)

1. What is metamechanics?

Metamechanics is not a theory but a synthetical praxis, primarily based on art, mechanics and philosophy. Metamehanics is trying to trascend mechanicism in thinking, technology and social organisation.

Through metamechanics as ‘beyond mechanics’ machines are not perceived just technicaly like automated tools, but also poetical like symbols and metaphors. Metamechanics does not believe in technological development entirely based on concept of efficiency. In a highly technologicaly advanced societies in which we live, where job is already becoming a commodity, even more efficient life is the last thing we need. Or you think you don't serve machines well enough yet?

However, solution of this actual issue does not hide in less efficient machines as we already have energy crisis as well. So metamechanics is looking for the solution on practical level where it invents new ways of expression which machines are not capable to grasp and to perform. There are so many things to learn, to invent, to create and to discover. Nobody knows what will happen around the globe in next decade so it's a great time to experiment.

Metamechanics with its eclectic arsenal of concepts and ideas does not seek for logicaly consistent results. It rather works on omnipotent effects of meaning and metamachines capable to produce it.

Ludwig von Bertalanffy, one of the founders of general system theory, used to said that people are not machines, but in all given situations where they are given the opportunity, they will act like machines.

With metamechanics you won't be temped to repeat yourself all over again...