Navigate between References: Intellectual Autonomy and Construction of Thought

The relationship between the thinker and his referents is analogous to that of the navigator and his compass. The navigator does not cling to a single port, but uses his compass as a guide, without letting it limit his journey. In the same way, the thinker can use his references without being held prisoner by them, advancing with his own criteria towards new understandings.

Referents can be classified as active and passive. A passive referent is one whose influence remains unquestioned, like a motionless lighthouse that illuminates the horizon, but does not modify its light. On the other hand, an active reference is one that challenges, transforms and expands the thinking of those who study it. History shows us countless examples of how the ideas of great thinkers have been, over time, dogmatized by their followers, turning critical thoughts into immovable doctrines.

For example, Karl Marx proposed a critical analysis of capitalism, but his ideas became, in the hands of some political movements, into inflexible dogmas that betrayed the original spirit of his theory. Likewise, Jesus' teachings, centered on compassion and freedom of spirit, were institutionalized in hierarchical structures that often contradicted their founding principles. These cases show how the petrification of an active referent can restrict its transformative potential.

The ability to navigate is not equivalent to a fact.

It is necessary to build it. To do this, it is necessary to have a compass and know how to use it, as well as the Faith that gives intellectual confidence in the thinker's own capacity and the meaning that he gives to his life.

Active and passive referents:

Like all things in the universe, referents also present two sides or signs or sides of a coin.

Consequently, we will mention two types of them: Active and Passive Referents.

Both types have in common their primary and obvious function: paradigm or model to be considered for any action on the part of an observer.

Let's start by looking at what might seem simpler, though (only on the surface); passive referents:

When we are small, it is a natural matter that our first and absolute references are our parents, since they give us the instinctive “imprint” that will be the basis for the progressive learning of each action and function that we face during our growth and development. Next, a series of references will parade that arouse our admiration and even fear or hatred as well (why not) but it will always be a strong emotion that motivates us to do things closely linked to their image and implicit message of their presence.

The most iconic collective passive referent stereotype is the one constituted by the group of iconic leaders of ideologies, political, military, religious, and popular artistic movements (the latter from the era of industrialization).

We will define an ideology as the set of ideas, beliefs and values that guide the perception, interpretation and action of an individual or group in society. To an ideological reference such as the conceptual framework or system of thought that serves as the basis for the construction and justification of a specific ideological position.

We will easily define a referent as that character (flesh and blood at first) who exercises and promotes at the collective level these conceptual and action frameworks that he himself executes or generates.

Up to this point, the referents are quite active because they demonstrate with their leadership, leadership or direct application of power, the guidelines to follow and these are taken for themselves, by each individual of the groups that follow them.

These ideas can, in some cases, transcend the very existence of the original referent, transmitting its conceptual foundations that little by little are modified by the application of successive generations that, modulated by their own situation and historical time, modify the essence. same as the original statement.

From this moment on, the historical reference becomes an iconic character and then a passive reference for the application of paradigms and even dogmas that arise from the passive natural modification of the original theoretical frameworks. Finally, the paradigm or ideal itself loses meaning and epistemic meaning and becomes a passive and inert referential icon that serves to catalog groups of followers or dissidents.

Intellectual autonomy is based on the ability to question referents, adapt them and overcome them without denaturalizing them. A truly free thinker clings to no doctrine, but subjects them all to constant scrutiny. The key is to generate our own thinking, enriched by the legacy of the greats, but without losing the ability to innovate and reformulate.

Just as the navigator uses his compass without depending exclusively on it, the thinker must use his references as tools, not as anchors. Only in this way will we be able to move towards unknown horizons, without being trapped in the stagnant waters of blind repetition.

In the information age, access to data without? analytical judgment’s criteria can lead us to erroneous interpretations that shape perceptions and decisions in biased ways. Enlightenment (Wisdom) and critical training not only allow the development of an autonomous personality, but are also essential tools to filter, interpret and apply knowledge effectively, especially in a context where artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies mediate our interactions with reality.

Eduardo Terranova, February 3, 2025