Is Culture Always Logical

or
Is Logic Always Cultural
?

by Leif Thomas Olsen

 …clipping from
the Far Eastern Economic Review (14/09/2000)

“INDIAN LOGIC: A high court in India ruled that a bank must

consider employing a young woman on the grounds that she had
already suffered bad luck. Sixteen years ago, when Ramya
Murthy was a baby, her mother Geetha was burned to death by
her father, G.D. Narashima Murthy. At the time of her death, the
mother had been employed by Syndicate Bank of Bangalore, The
Asian Age reported.”
“Ramya, who has just turned 18, applied to the courts to force
the bank to give her a job on compassionate grounds because
such an awful thing had happened to her in the past. Justice H.L.
Dattu ordered the bank to process the application. This is typical
Indian anti-logic. It makes no sense, but feels right.”
Culture as a Phenomenon?
 Robert Keel (2000):

Culture is the totality of learned, socially transmitted

behaviour. It is the product of both material and non-
material interaction, i.e., beliefs, values, ideas, norms,
and so on.

It is shared, learned and intergenerational

 Harry Triandis (1994):

Cultures are like standard operating procedures ...

ways of doing things that have been internalised to such

an extent that people do not argue about them
 So, how can we best
appreciate our fellow humans’
cultures?
Harry Triandis again:
Culturally derived differences
are caused by differences in our
‘unstated assumptions’
 Harry Triandis again:
Culturally derived differences
are caused by differences in our
‘unstated assumptions’

But how can that piece of insight help us overcome

these differences?
One Way Is ‘Acculturation’
 Acculturation:
The process of assimilating new ideas into an existing
‘cognitive structure’ …

… i.e. the adoption of the behavior patterns of a

surrounding culture into one’s existing culture
 Acculturation:
The process of assimilating new ideas into an existing
‘cognitive structure’ …

… i.e. the adoption of the behavior patterns of a

surrounding culture into one’s existing culture

The typical claim is that the Coca Cola culture overruns

indigenous cultures. But acculturation is not always
a matter of non-westerners adopting western ideas.
Historically there are many examples of the opposite.
Cultural Influences on the
West
Sinology on the Enlightenment
Indiology on Romanticism
Orientalism on Colonialism
The Rest on the West
Tao, Zen, Hinduism on the Hippies
Buddhism on Feminism
 Example:

Sinology & the Enlightenment

The French philosopher Quesnay translated the Taoist
concept of “wu-wei” to French, and called it “laissez-
fair”.
Wu-wei and laissez-fair both suggest that governments
should not interfere with the “natural order” of things.
Quesnay’s disciple, Adam Smith, was much influenced by
the laissez-fair concept when developing his ideas about
the “invisible hand” - in turn a cornerstone for his “free
market” theories.
Another Way Is Simply To
Learn More About Other
Cultures
Another Way Is Simply To
Learn More About Other
Cultures

Can Everyday Logic be a Cultural Identifier?

‘Logical Reasoning’
Deduction versus
Analytical Induction
or

How all cultures develop their own logic

 Deduction vs Induction
Where deductive research narrows its claims to what can
be proven beyond doubt, analytical induction widens its
claims to include also diverting outcomes of similar cases

Deductive approach Inductive approach

 Deduction

A researcher using a deductive method will start out

from a hypothesis, try to exclude all uncertainty,
and claim that what was repeatedly found equals
‘the truth’
 Analytical Induction

A researcher using analytical induction will start out

from one observation, compare this observation to
other - albeit similar - cases, and seek to define which
‘outer perimeter’ can include as many as possible of
the cases studied
Coming back to good ol’
“the West and the Rest”
 Coming back to good ol’
“the West and the Rest”
A core issue of the Enlightenment - on which
Positivism and Modernity rests - was the use of
‘reason’, i.e. the ability to form opinions and draw
conclusions from facts.
 Coming back to good ol’
“the West and the Rest”
A core issue of the Enlightenment - on which
Positivism and Modernity rests - was the use of
‘reason’, i.e. the ability to form opinions and draw
conclusions from facts.
But can we always distinguish facts from opinions?
 Reason, Induction &
Premises
“Reason is merely an instrument which, correctly
employed, helps people draw inferences (conclusions)
from given premises without inconsistency.”
(from ‘The Meaning of Things’ by AC Grayling)
 Reason, Induction &
Premises
“Reason is merely an instrument which, correctly
employed, helps people draw inferences (conclusions)
from given premises without inconsistency.”
(from ‘The Meaning of Things’ by AC Grayling)

“Granted the premises, the logic is inescapable”

(from Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Relativism and Cultural Values by Melville Herskovits)
Reason, Induction &
Logic
Western logic is based on ‘positivism’, to which concepts
like evidence, accountability and transparency are the
keys
This logic hence assumes a deductive approach
 Reason, Induction &
Logic
Western logic is based on ‘positivism’, to which concepts
like evidence, accountability and transparency are the
keys
This logic hence assumes a deductive approach

Non-western logic is based on ‘wisdom’, to which concepts

like tradition, experience and empiricism are the keys
This logic hence assumes an inductive approach
 Reason, Induction &
Research
Deductive research gave us penicillin & computer networks
Analytical induction gave us acupuncture & social networks
 Reason, Induction &
Research
Deductive research gave us penicillin & computer networks
Analytical induction gave us acupuncture & social networks

The world needs both computer networks & social networks

The world needs both deductive & inductive thinking
 Reason, Induction &
Politics
Western democracy is based on well articulated
arguments that actually intend to ‘discriminate’
within the framework of a multi-party system
 Reason, Induction &
Politics
Western democracy is based on well articulated
arguments that actually intend to ‘discriminate’
within the framework of a multi-party system

Non-western democracy is based on populist rhetoric

that actually intends to include as many views as
possible, within the framework of a consensus-driven
system
So, What Is the Conclusion
of All This ?
 Everyday Logic

Observation + Premise = Conclusion

 Everyday Logic

Observation + Premise = Conclusion

But what about Socrates?

Wasn’t he the one who started this debate?
 Syllogisms
A reasoned argument where two statements inevitably
will lead to a third

Example:
- All men will one day die (premise) - Socrates
is a man (observation)
- therefore one day Socrates will die (conclusion).
A Typical East / West Difference
“I think my boss is wrong (observation).
Should I tell him during the office meeting?”
A Typical East / West Difference
“I think my boss is wrong (observation).
Should I tell him during the office meeting?”

In the “West”
He may have overlooked
this important piece of
information (premise 1),
and I think he appreciates
initiatives from his staff
(premise 2).
A Typical East / West Difference
“I think my boss is wrong (observation).
Should I tell him during the office meeting?”

In the “West” In the “East”

He may have overlooked
this important piece of
information (premise 1),
and I think he appreciates
initiatives from his staff
(premise 2).
He is after all my senior,
whom one shall not directly
criticise (premise 1), and if
I make him ‘lose face’, he
may also suffer part of his
authority (premise 2).
A Typical East / West Difference
“I think my boss is wrong (observation).
Should I tell him during the office meeting?”

In the “West” In the “East”

He may have overlooked
this important piece of
information (premise 1),
and I think he appreciates
initiatives from his staff
(premise 2).
He is after all my senior,
whom one shall not directly
criticise (premise 1), and if
I make him ‘lose face’, he
may also suffer part of his
authority (premise 2).

“Yes, I had better” (conclusion) “No, I had better not”

 Logic vs Acculturation:

If every observation must be compared to a

premise before a logical conclusion can be
made, is acculturation then not mainly a matter
of sharing premises?
 Is Acculturation a
Deductive or Inductive
Process?
 In the Global Community …
If a ‘free and democratic world’ is the objective, should not
all peoples have the right to live by their own chosen culture
– as long as it does not harm others ?

Anybody interested in bi- or multilateral interaction must in

such case respect local cultures - no matter how different.
 In the Global Community …
If a ‘free and democratic world’ is the objective, should not
all peoples have the right to live by their own chosen culture
– as long as it does not harm others ?

Anybody interested in bi- or multilateral interaction must in

such case respect local cultures - no matter how different.

Acculturation is here primarily an inductive process,

and its suggested alternative – to learn more about others
rather than teaching others about oneself – may indeed
prove to be the best way forward.
In Corporate Life Though …
HQ’s corporate culture always permeate overall
decision making, as well as reward- and promotion
policy, even in culturally distant markets – in the
name of control and profit maximation.
In Corporate Life Though …
HQ’s corporate culture always permeate overall
decision making, as well as reward- and promotion
policy, even in culturally distant markets – in the
name of control and profit maximation.

Acculturation will here be a more deductive process,

where sharing the ‘HQ culture’ and its ‘underlying
assumptions’ with subsidiary employees is crucial - for
them to choose to what extent they wish to acculturate,
and in turn excel in, that particular culture.
 But, Has the World a HQ ?
In the bi-polar world both Super Powers agreed the world
needed a few joint working groups. But the UN was never
meant to be a World Inc. HQ - although Bretton Woods
certainly viewed itself as the Almighty in its domain.

Has a ‘HQ approach’ arrived with the mono-polar world ?

 But, Has the World a HQ ?
In the bi-polar world both Super Powers agreed the world
needed a few joint working groups. But the UN was never
meant to be a World Inc. HQ - although Bretton Woods
certainly viewed itself as the Almighty in its domain.

Has a ‘HQ approach’ arrived with the mono-polar world ?

Acculturation in today’s world – does it presuppose we all

have to acculturate some HQ’s culture and its underlying
assumptions? Recent ‘lessons’ taught in democracy and
good governance suggests this would be highly deductive.
 Now,
Assume the World Had a HQ …

… and the World thought the boss was wrong. Should

the World tell him during an office meeting

?
End Part 1
The Premise Component
If the Premise Component is so critical,
how can it be negotiated, so that opposing cultures
eventually can agree on global issues ?
The Premise Component
If the Premise Component is so critical,
how can it be negotiated, so that opposing cultures
eventually can agree on global issues ?

The Full Formula for Cultural Behavior intends

to suggest how to put this component into context.
 The Full Formula
for Cultural Behaviour
From "Traffic - A Book About Culture"

Social Level: + Cultural Values

+ Environment = Cultural Application

Empirical Level: + Cultural Application

+ Experience = Cultural Premise

Logical Level: + Observations

+ Cultural Premise = Cultural Conclusion

Action Level: + Cultural Conclusion

+ Resources
+ Resolve = Cultural Behaviour
Let’s focus on the Social Level

Political, economic and ethnological differences

apart, how can societies be broadly classified ?
 The Class Society:
A society whose leaders use
'values' to govern
Traditional
Slow In change
Segregated
Society driven
Low need for control
 The Power Society:
A society whose leaders use
'power' to govern
Short on history
Intermittent pace of change
Elite-oriented
Power driven
High need for control
 The Debate Society:
A society whose leaders use
'opinions' to govern
Without history
Constant change
Interest group based
Admin driven
Difficult to control
 The Big Pond:
An opportunistic society
Anonymous
Stardom-oriented
Short turnover time
Media-driven
Tolerant
Open – but hard to conquer
The Small Pond:
A diligent society
Seniority-based
Mentorship-oriented
Long turnover time
Network-driven
Intolerant
Closed - but possible to conquer
Empirical and Action Levels …

Adding Experiences to the Social Level will lead to the

Empirical Level, and from the Logical Level we will
arrive at the Action Level once Resources and Resolve
are added.

/ Leif Thomas Olsen