Infinite Diversity In Infinite Combinations (moral, Earth, America, doctrine)

[silvermoon383]

Coined by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960’s, “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations” (or IDIC) became the foundation of his theory of the future as depicted in Star Trek. (In Star Trek lore, IDIC is attributed to Surak, founder of Vulcan logic.)

IDIC means that in great diversity there is great strength. Throughout the world (and the universe) there is an infinite amount of differences between people. Here on Earth alone with have differences in skin color, gender, religious belief, physical and mental ability, habits, hobbies, likes and dislikes, and many more. Throughout human history we have been fighting with each other because of these differences, and these battles have gotten us nowhere.

In modern history, the principle of IDIC had been slowly taking root. It has taken root when it was politically, and economically expedient. One example is the Allied Nations in World War II. Each of the Allies stood separately in the beginning, and fell one by one to the German military. It was not until the Allies worked together and fought shoulder to shoulder as a whole that the tide was turned against Germany.

Today, the economic reason is dominant. People have learned that in order to advance the economy and bring prosperity you must cooperate with others around the world. The European Union is the best example of this.

Unfortunately, the world faces as crisis at this time. IDIC has almost disappeared from the world. Once again old hatreds based off of the mundane differences between people have surfaced and is threatening to tear the world apart. Muslims are turning against all others simply because they don’t believe in the exact same doctrines. The race issue has once again risen in the United States (namely New Orleans.) Those with power have turned against those without (either by directly oppressing or simply not following the desires of the populace.) Only the application of IDIC can stop this madness.

Our differences are nothing to fight about. Our differences exist so that we can work together to strengthen each other. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. One person’s strength will counter another’s weakness. By working together, those two will accomplish more than either could do alone. When a third person joins the group, their strengths are added and more weaknesses are cancelled. As the group grows in size, the whole gets stronger.

No individual is without value. Everyone has something to contribute. Put aside your differences, look past them, and see what you can do to help another. Humanity must work together to accomplish our dreams. Once we have learned to work together without hesitation, the stars themselves will be within our grasp.

Then we can work on including those that are not human, and work with those from other worlds to continue the great work of improving our worlds, our galaxy, and eventually the universe.


Is this not a goal worth working for?

[finalfrogo]

Well said!

[Booko]

Originally Posted by silvermoon383

Our differences are nothing to fight about. Our differences exist so that we can work together to strengthen each other. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. One person’s strength will counter another’s weakness. By working together, those two will accomplish more than either could do alone. When a third person joins the group, their strengths are added and more weaknesses are cancelled. As the group grows in size, the whole gets stronger.

No individual is without value. Everyone has something to contribute. Put aside your differences, look past them, and see what you can do to help another. Humanity must work together to accomplish our dreams. Once we have learned to work together without hesitation, the stars themselves will be within our grasp.

Then we can work on including those that are not human, and work with those from other worlds to continue the great work of improving our worlds, our galaxy, and eventually the universe.


Is this not a goal worth working for?

It's the goal Baha'is have been working on for over 150 years, though our usual phrase is "unity in diversity."

[Feathers in Hair]

While I've grown up with Star Trek, the first time I heard that and it 'stuck' was when it was mentioned on "Enterprise". I don't think I've heard such a beautiful summary before.

[eudaimonia]

I agree that in some contexts people can learn to overcome their differences and work together, but don't those contexts require at least some shared values?

"Infinite diversity" unfortunately includes a diversity of "evil", or at least value systems that clash with each other to the point that there is little to cooperate over. Consider your example of how several nations united to fight (Nazi) Germany. Could those nations have "cooperated" with the Nazis instead and have remained who they were? Wouldn't that have required toleration for death camps?

I agree that, as a practical matter, one may have to cooperate with people who have cultures that differ from one in tolerable respects in order to maintain peace. It is when those difference become morally intolerable that problems arise in issues of cooperation, and solutions are not so simple. Chanting IDIC isn't a solution.


eudaimonia,

M.

[michel]

The theory is excellent; it's an ideal though, and sadly, ideals don't work in practice.

What about the star Treck "prime directive" which was

Non-interference

?

Had the human race accepted that, would the two world wars have taken place ? presumably, we (british) and You (Americans) would never have gone to Iraq ?

[Sunstone]

If one wants to be niggling about it, "unity in diversity" strikes me as a more apt expression of the OPs points than "Infinite diversity in infinite combinations". The latter expression does not seem to balance diversity with unity, IMHO.

Among other things, humans are a social animal. We are among the most cooperative animals in nature, exceeded in our ability to cooperate with each other only by such animals as termites and meekrats. We also have the world's most sophisticated ability to communicate with each other in our use of languages. For all our wars, there is a firm foundation in human nature for unity.

[Booko]

Originally Posted by Eudaimonist

I agree that in some contexts people can learn to overcome their differences and work together, but don't those contexts require at least some shared values?

"Infinite diversity" unfortunately includes a diversity of "evil", or at least value systems that clash with each other to the point that there is little to cooperate over. Consider your example of how several nations united to fight (Nazi) Germany. Could those nations have "cooperated" with the Nazis instead and have remained who they were? Wouldn't that have required toleration for death camps?

I agree that, as a practical matter, one may have to cooperate with people who have cultures that differ from one in tolerable respects in order to maintain peace. It is when those difference become morally intolerable that problems arise in issues of cooperation, and solutions are not so simple. Chanting IDIC isn't a solution.

No, but the farther humanity gets along the road of accepting the idea that there is only one human race, the less we should see of the evils you mention.

Even so, I don't expect if IDIC were generally accepted, we would find the police redundant.