This presentation explains the Quadrant Model as a model for four forms of reality: extragenic, autogenic, endogenous and exogenous reality. The model is used here to show how different levels of cognition of the world can be thought to arise through the four idealized figures of the father, mother, son and daughter.
The presentation follows a movement from chaos to lawfulness: first by the father, seeing to purpose, who holds chaos firmly, then by the mother, seeing to purpose, who creates dualism, then the son, seeing to consideration, who opens up for trinity, and finally the daughter, seeing to goal, who brings together the three previous levels in a fourth, meaningful point.
The signs that signify each form of reality mark not only punctuation, but a way of ordering cognition: the exclamation mark points out a point of reference, the question mark opens up for wonder, the comma connects and separates, while the period gathers the movement into a context.
Extragenous reality: The Father
( ! ) Exclamation point
Chaos is the starting point. Only when something in chaos acquires meaning and significance does a point of reference for cognition arise. The moment we distance ourselves from chaos, point to it and refer to it as chaos, chaos becomes not just disorder, but something that we can relate to. By determining chaos to be chaos, chaos becomes the beginning of an intelligible world.
Autogenous reality: The Mother
( ? ) Question mark
When the word, i.e. language, came into the world, chaos ceased in favour of the distinction between sky and sea. The sky was from the beginning given by the clouds, and the sea caught the rain from the clouds up.
Point of reference and fixed point are what sky and sea are. Form and matter in Platonic philosophy, or ideal reality and material reality in idealist philosophy. The two constitute a dualism, and cognition of the world took off by the fact that in thought a not was constantly formed for the existing. The sky in relation to the dry land, and the sea in relation to the dry land, are not, for example, like the sky in relation to the sea.
Furthermore, we distinguish between time and place, and time is ideal reality, where place is material reality. In Christian tradition, a distinction is made between fearing and loving God, and loving one's neighbour as oneself. Again, it is the distinction between ideal reality and material reality that is pointed out.
Endogenous reality: The Son
( , ) Comma
The recognition that follows from dualism opens up attention to the trinity: the river, seen with regard to the rain from above, or the tree, seen with regard to the word tree. A trinity is not a dualism, but a new structure for understanding. Thus, we move from idealistic to materialistic thinking, and can distinguish between root, stem and foliage.
These are matter, movement and form, in Aristotelian philosophy. In Christian thought, this is faith, love, hope, or also the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Son. With regard to the concept of value, this is what is necessary, useful and beautiful. In the Bible, a distinction is made between what was, is and will be.
We must, however, distinguish between a categorical understanding of the Trinity and a real recognition of what applies. With regard to what really is, the foliage of the tree will always appear before the trunk of the tree does. This is a general rule. It is called "faith, hope, and love", and not "faith, love, and hope".
Exogenous reality: The daughter
( . ) Period
From the beginning, it was the law that applied. The first step away from the perception of chaos was to demonstrate lawfulness in chaos. We have three words for what the law provides, namely:
- Law and judgment
- Law and justice
- Law and order
Judgment, justice and order are a trinity that follows from law. Law, however, thus becomes the fourth thing, which stands outside, and which is meaningful. With regard to the tree, given by root, trunk and foliage, the fruit is the fourth element, which gives meaning to the tree.
In Norway, we also have this saying, from ancient times:
All good things are three.
The fourth often follows.
Christ will always act independently of an existing, justifying or judging it. What caused chaos to cease was that the Word came into the world. This happened through Adam about 6000 years ago, and Jesus Christ is the Word.
With this, the Quadrant Model is made plausible as an intellectual framework for understanding the relationship between purpose, intention, consideration and goal across religious and philosophical traditions. The model shows how cognition moves from a first point of reference in chaos, via dualism and trinity, to a fourth link that gathers and gives meaning.