Science, Strategy and War The Strategic Theory of ... - Boekje Pienter

The Big O: Orientation.The ensuing discussion is quintessential for understanding Boyd, for it leads him to the keyconcept of Orientation. Although Boyd does not explain it on paper explicitly, his focus oninteractions lies in their function: interactions in various forms are the glue that binds thevarious nodes of a social system together. This becomes (albeit not self-) evident in thecontrasting of positive and negative features of activities and linkages, which Boydapparently introduces for their emotive and associative effect. Positively valued activities forinstance are radio transmission and reception, conversation, writing and teamwork. Positivelyvalued features of linkages are common frequencies, common language, correlation amongmultiple sources and harmony of different efforts 9 . If this may not immediately appear tolead to a deeper understanding of, or to the rationale for focusing on interactions, the list ofnegatively valued features does 10 :ActivitiesCompartmentationNon-cooperative centers of gravityAlienationNon-adaptiveFixed recipeLinkagesDisconnected bits and piecesIslands of disconnected effortDisconnected from other humansDisconnected from environmentDisconnected from environment, butconnected to some formalityBoyd derives from the first list of positively valued features the insight that ‘interactionsrepresent a many-sided implicit cross-referencing process of projection, empathy,correlation, and rejection’ 11 . This is a deceptively simple description. The carefully chosenwords, and the few examples which precedes it mask a spectrum of insights and theories. Inthe collision of ideas and hypothesis (projection) with reality contained within thisdescription we find the Popperian process of conjecture and refutation. In its humanelements, this description incorporates Polanyi’s vision of knowing, while the aspect of theenvironment suggests systems theoretical and neo-Darwinist roots. All resurface in his nextmove.This insight in the nature of interactions is the first step toward a definition oforientation. In his familiar way Boyd suggests to the audience that he suspects that thisinsight is in some way related to orientation, which (of course) leads to the question what wemean by orientation. So Boyd provides the second element for a definition:Orientation, seen as a result, represents images, views, or impressions of the world shaped bygenetic heritage, cultural tradition, previous experiences, and unfolding circumstances.Thus, in a few words, Boyd brings together synonyms for mental modules, schemata,memes, and tacit knowledge in a dynamic relation with the environment. He explains thesources of images, views or impressions, i.e., the conceptual lenses for observation. And thefollowing step brings together interaction and this description of the result of orientation 12 :9 Ibid, p.10.10 Ibid.11 Ibid, p.11.12 Ibid, p.15.236