Interstructure Defined
A new word to conceptually navigate the poly/metacrisis
Allow me to introduce a concept that may be useful for understanding the complex and interconnected nature of the world around us.
The concept is interstructure, and it’s a surprisingly simple word.
Interstructure is a portmanteau of Inter and Infrastructure, where:
- Inter- comes from Latin, meaning among or between. An easy way to remember that the prefix inter- means “between” is through the word international, for international competitions occur “between” nations.
- Infrastructure refers to the basic physical and organizational systems and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. Examples include physical structures like roads, bridges, dams as well as institutions like education, healthcare, economics.
Inter + infrastructure = interstructure
Interstructure describes the interconnected and interdependent nature of various systems and structures within a complex society or organization. It incorporates the complex web of relationships and dependencies that exist between different components, such as infrastructure, institutions, and social networks. The concept emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing these interconnections to ensure the smooth functioning and resilience of the overall system. Interstructure highlights the need for a holistic approach to problem-solving and decision-making, as changes or disruptions in one area can have ripple effects on other connected systems.
Why is this word useful?
Many people working in the realm of existential risk use the term polycrisis to refer to a notable collection of current existential challenges:
- Climate Change
- Resource Depletion
- Global Pandemics
- Nuclear Holocaust
- Species Extinctions
- Extreme Wealth Inequality
- Dangerous Technologies like Generative AI, and more.
Not only are these crises separately capable of “destroying the world” (theoretically, one way or another), but they seem to be inexorably merging into one monstrously complex system of mutually reinforcing dynamics that constitutes a far more formidable challenge not only to civilization but to all of Earth’s living systems.
- The generally recognized definition of a polycrisis is the “simultaneous occurrence of several catastrophic events.”
Another word creeping into the lexicon is metacrisis.
A metacrisis refers to the underlying crisis of belief systems leading to multiple interconnected crises. In other words, it’s the worldview underpinning the behaviors that lead to a polycrisis. This worldview often stems from our origin stories — the stories we tell ourselves to help make sense of the world.
The term metacrisis captures the two key elements of the current human condition:
- It is a crisis of belief systems, not just a crisis of events or circumstances.
- This belief system leads to multiple interconnected crises, not just a single isolated crisis.
Returning to the word interstructure.
The concept is useful for when referring to the complex and interconnected nature of the world around us. It is a way of thinking about the entire infrastructure of a society (physical and organizational) as not just a set of static elements that make up complex societies, but as a dynamic process of interaction between these elements, underpinned by our belief in how these systems work.
Now that we have a simple word that refers to all of the combined elements that make up Western society’s metacrisis, we can explore the differences between:
- Capitalist Interstructure and
- Post Capitalist Interstructure (includes a comparison table).
Background
I’d been searching for a word that succinctly packages up the belief systems that collectively have led to our polycrisis. Until we can name the belief system we stand little chance of rethinking the underlying assumptions driving us toward the edge. I originally started using the word intrastructure, until it was pointed out to me that intra means within, whereas inter means between.
A good example of the difference between words beginning with these two prefixes can be found with intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary. The one beginning with intra- means “being or occurring within the scope of a scholarly or academic discipline or between the people active in such a discipline,” and the one beginning with inter- means “involving two or more academic, scientific, or artistic disciplines.”
With that helpful distinction, as well as an acknowledgement that we are dealing with transdisciplinary topics, I believe the word should be interstructure.
What are your thoughts?
