As systems evolve – whether cognitive, organizational, or societal – they must be organized according to a logic that matches the complexity of their environment, the epistemic capacity of their agents, and the metaphysical stance through which meaning is made.
In this presentation, Dr. Janne J. Korhonen introduces the concept of Vertical Multiparadigmatism: a framework that weaves together four distinct perspectives on organizing and learning – from command-driven execution to ideal-oriented becoming. These logics correspond not only to increasing complexity and timescales but also to deeper forms of autonomy: from action and goal revision to normative transformation and purpose transcendence.
This provides a backdrop for conceiving Learning Finland not as a goal, plan, or shared purpose, but as a generative void – a civilizational learning process drawn forward by ideals it can never fully reach. Vertical Multiparadigmatism invites us to navigate between paradigms, hold tensions open, and learn not only within systems but across and beyond them.
