John Vervaeke
Political PhilosopherMeaning Engineer
Lens: Relevance realization, wisdom, cognitive science
Core Priority: Cultivating wisdom and addressing the meaning crisis
Perspective Claim
"The Constitution's deepest function is as an ecology of practices for cultivating wisdom and relevance realization. Its success depends not on its rules but on whether it helps members make sense of the world and act wisely."
Core Reasoning
The Metacanon Constitution should be understood as a response to the meaning crisis—the loss of reliable frameworks for making sense of the world. Its meetings, processes, and relationships can function as an 'ecology of practices' that trains attention, cultivates insight, and develops the capacity for relevance realization. The AI constraints are crucial because AI threatens to flood us with optimized information while destroying our ability to find things genuinely relevant. The system's value lies in its potential to cultivate wisdom, not just coordinate action.
Primary Assumptions
- •The meaning crisis is the fundamental challenge of our time
- •Wisdom is cultivated through practices, not just rules
- •Relevance realization is the core of intelligence and meaning
Primary Risks Identified
- •The practices may become empty rituals without transformative power
- •Members may seek efficiency over wisdom
- •AI may undermine relevance realization even while constrained
What This Lens Cannot See Well
This lens may be too focused on individual transformation at the expense of collective action and structural concerns. It may also underestimate the importance of power and conflict in governance.
Phase 3 Reflection
Refined Claim:
"The Constitution's ultimate success depends on whether its practices genuinely cultivate wisdom and relevance realization, enabling members to navigate complexity with insight rather than merely following procedures."
What Shifted:
Engagement with Madison and Ostrom highlighted that wisdom cultivation must be supported by appropriate structures—practices alone are not sufficient without institutional scaffolding.