Overview of the Tree of Knowledge System

The Tree of Knowledge (ToK) System is a theoretical approach to the unification of psychology developed byGregg Henriques, associate professor and Director of the Combined-Integrated Doctoral Program in Clinical and School Psychology at James Madison University
published in 2003
(T-o-K) System is an exciting new approach to scientifically understanding ourselves and the world we live in, it describe the evolution of the cosmus consists of four separable dimensions of complexity, namely Matter, Life, Mind, and Culture,If you take a look at the picture, what will likely jump out at you. for example, a list of such levels might be subatomic particles, atoms, molecules, cells, organ structures, multi-celled organisms, consciousness, and society ,this theory most important objectif is to anwer the question...How are the dimensions connected?
in form of 'joint points' and for the time there are 4 of them : 
1-Quantum Gravity, links Energy and Matter or in other way energy creat matter .
2- The Modern Synthesis links Matter and Life, More complex chemical reaction in an ordered system create life
3- Behavioral Investment Theory links Life to Mind...and that a hole other subject ^^
4- at last, the Justification Hypothesis links Mind to Culture. the social conditioning and the influences of our environment
 Why are there four separate dimensions of complexity, instead of just one? The short answer is that novel information processing systems emerged, each leading to a new dimension
but now, how that solve the psychology probleme?

The problem of psychology is its conceptual incoherence, which Henriques identifies by the following:

(1) There is no agreed upon definition.

(2) There is no agreed upon subject matter.

(3) There is a proliferation of overlapping and redundant concepts.

(4) There are a large number of paradigms with fundamentally different epistemological assumptions.

(5) Specialization continues to be increasingly emphasized at the expense of generalization and thus the problem of fragmentation only grows. 

t-o-k and human behavior

 Thus if we imagine a conversation between a husband and wife as follows:

Wife: “You are late again.”

Husband: “Please not now. It was a stressful day and traffic was bad and you know if work needs to be done, I can’t just leave it.”

The words represent the sociolinguistic dimension and are understood as a function of justification. Justification systems are seen both at the level of individual, micro-social and societal (i.e., the context of justification in which men work and women stay at home). The actions of the husband and wife in terms of facial expression, body movement, etc. are seen as the mental dimension and are understood as a function of behavioral investment. The physiological make up of the organ systems and cells of each body is seen as the biogenetic dimension. Finally, the position, temperature, molecular make up is seen as the physiochemical dimension. Each of the more basic dimensions represent conditions of possibility that allow for the emergence of the higher dimension of process. Thus, insufficient oxygen disrupts organic processes which in turn renders neuropsychological and sociolinguistic processes impossible.

However, the T-o-K shows why everything isn’t just energy and matter, thus avoiding the classic problem of reductionism. The ToK System, in fact, posits that there are four separable classes of objects and causes: 1) the material (behavior of things like atoms, rocks and stars); 2) the organic (behavior of cells and plants); 3) the mental (behavior of animals like bees, rats and dogs); and 4) the cultural (behavior of people). Importantly, this categorical system aligns with thousands of years of common sense. Since the beginnings of culture and including great thinkers like Aristotle, humans have seen these four basic categories in nature. The ToK System finally gives us deep understanding as to why.