The Principle of Threefolding (part 1)
Written by Michael Hallam 31 01 2003
The importance of three-folding, as a principle, rests in the nature of the dynamics. It can be seen as a dynamic 'evolution' of One-foldness and Two-foldness. Oneness can be characterized as a single all-encompassing point of view that holds, within the scope of its incorporated vision, all possible points of view. Socially, it makes itself felt in monotheistic religion. In ancient times societies were organised according to the will of a single mind or purpose, which was characterized and embodied in the divinely inspired ruler.
Twofold ness can be seen most clearly in the development of classical logical thinking, and the development of the notion of true and false. Twofold thinking may lack the consistency, wholeness and the certainties of Onefoldness but is an excellent medium for discriminating, prioritizing, selecting, clarifying and achieving specific aims. In our own times it has reached a peak of development in our information culture where the technology of our modern day computers rely exclusively on the development of this twofold logic. It is also evident in the adversarial system of politics, whereby two principle parties vie for power and variously serve as government and opposition according to the periodic favour of the people.
The strengths and weaknesses of onefold and twofoldness are, to some extent, complementary. The unity of purpose in a single authority can easily become a dictatorship as it begins to exclude other legitimate points of view. The principle of twofoldness, when carried to extremes can lead to an ever more detailed and specialized splitting up of the whole into its manageable component parts. Whilst this tendency towards specialism might be useful for breaking a problem down into manageable units, it can often prove very difficult to re-assemble these fragments into a re-unified whole.
This is where threefoldness comes into its own. (Part II to follow)
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