www.knowledgeswaps.org
www.knowledgeswaps.org
The Philosophy of Knowledge-Swap
The philosophy of a 'knowledge-swap' began in my need to make friends in the small town of Karamea, in 2002. I had moved there from Auckland, where I had been a part time training administration officer in the Naval Reserves. I knew it was a role which required lots of conversations on interesting topics, with other people. I was also deeply concerned about the need to pass on knowledge from the older generation to the younger generation, and I sensed a future of economic stress in which the young wouldn't know how to grow food in their own gardens. So I thought, "I know, I'll make myself into a sort-of training officer of Karamea!" I originally called it the Karamea Summer School on 'Back to Basics Living'. And later I changed it to a 'knowledge-swap' concept. And that's where the photos come from.
I got married in 2005 and we had two children. As Mum to two, I became too busy to keep running them. Then in 2012 I was unexpectedly called away to Christchurch, but the people of Karamea hadn't forgotten the knowledge-swaps and they decided to start them up again, as 'Karamea Winter School' and 'Karamea Knowledge Sharing Workshops'. I was so happy to see them continue!
So now it's 2026, and I'm going to turn the conversation to a much bigger picture... to the concepts of education and 'civilisational architecture' and to all the changes that we're all witnessing...
The policy and practice of education in the Western world has undergone profound and far-reaching changes in the past 60 years. Up until about the mid 1970s, Philosophers of Education in the western world recognised that Education was a domain of knowledge in a special class of domains called 'the common good'. The common good was critical for the flourishing of human life, society and by extension, the economy of that society.
Other domains of knowledge within the common good include family, health, defence, justice and conservation. In past generations, everyone knew that the first principles of each common good had to be protected as a matter of civilisational security from any outside influence, especially from the influence of commercial interests.
Here's a diagram of pre-1980 civilisational architecture, including the domains and knowledge and their first principles.
By the 1980s and 1990s, the concept of the 'common good' had been sufficiently 'forgotten', and then domains within it were opened up as 'new opportunities for commercial ventures'. This was achieved by pitching 'the logic of commerce' as the most effieint kind of logic there is.
Do you know someone who was employed in say health, or defence, or education, from the 1980s to the 2000s? If so, they would have expereinced the transition. Ask them what they remember about doing courses in which commercial logic was introduced into their domain. And then, critically, ask them how that new logic affected their focus on the original first principles of that domain. And that is the point at which you'll properly begin to understand the shift.
So here's a diagram of what happened after 1980.
Now we're in the 2020s and 'education' is no longer true education. It has been completely trainified and is now operated as though it's a tool of commerce. The same applies to other domains of knowledge. There are widespread attempts to suppress Christianity - but not to suppress other faiths.
The operating procedures of commerce have been applied to every domain of knowledge, and humanity is wondering why things feel so unsettled.
So here's our 2020s diagram.
This brings us to the concept of knowledge swaps. Knowledge swaps can apply to ordinary things like 'how to garden', but they can also be applied to specific domains of knowledge, deliberately outside of commercial operating procedures, in a quiet environment, to restore the first principles of those domains.
If you've got the resources from this website, you can run a knowledge swap in your community, no matter where you are. If you are homeless, you can still run a knowledge swap: you can name a park as a venue, or perhaps ask the owner of a cafe if you could run a knowledge swap at their cafe. If you know how to survive in the rough, you already have a very valuable skillset which other people would love to learn. And you probably also know about the seduction of money- so I hope that the money-free philosophy of knowleldge swaps will appeal to you.
As you offer your knowledge through knowledge swaps, you'll experience gratitude from other people who learn from you and you'll make new friends in the process.
If you're super wealthy- please don't let that put you off from running a knowledge swap either. You might have access to knowledge and perhaps tools or resources which others would love to learn about. Sometimes wealth creates its own odd sort of loneliness. A knowledge-swap bypasses the monetary contamination of ordinary human connection. You'll experience something very different and wonderful.
If you have expertise in old school medicine, you could run a knowledge-swap especially to restore the first principles of medicine. The same applies for any domain of knowledge. The corporatisation of the 1980s and 90s, seemed sensible at the time because it promised 'efficiency', but it has resulted in the displacement of the first principles of each domain of knowledge, by commercial logic and priorities. The consequences will only be fully understood in hindsight. But already, it's becoming clear that domains of knowledge which used to be rock solid, have been hollowed out and now only stand in name. Another 'commercified creature' operates them from the inside.
Running a knowledge-swap gives you a reason to speak to people, and when others hear about it, their faces will light up. And that's just the beginning. I'd love to encourage you to give it a go and experience the joy of hearing ideas with others without money being involved.
