Re: MD Evolution of levels

From: David MOREY (us@divadeus.freeserve.co.uk)
Date: Fri Sep 12 2003 - 19:42:37 BST

  • Next message: David MOREY: "Re: MD a little thing..."

    Hi
    could you say something about the relationship of fractals
    to dynamic quality?

    DM
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Yale Landsberg" <yale_landsberg@yalelands.com>
    To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 11:08 PM
    Subject: Re: MD Evolution of levels

    Fair enough. OTOH, consider this: one of the most interesting things about
    real exploring as compared with the phony-baloney kind is that the more
    unclear and dangerous the territory to be explored, whether darkest Africa
    two centuries ago, or digging down deep into the gold mine of metaphysics,
    the less likely it is that the explorer knows well enough exactly when to
    stop moving along path 1, then which way to turn, and how many steps to take
    before again exactly stopping on path 2, turning, taking how many steps...
    So iit is highly probable that Patrick van den Berg was not so much enticed
    as he used and uses a different mode of exploring than you, the mode of
    real explorers who by definition have abolutely no idea of how much effort
    is needed to do their explorations, nor even if they will succeed, and even
    if they succeeed wil the exploration havebeen worth it? As most
    self-described "explorers" are not risk averse, they are not really
    exploring. In any case, we can all agree that Robert Pirsig was, and (if he
    is with us) still probably is one of the 20th centuries greatest real
    explorers.. YL

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: <abahn@comcast.net>
    To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 11:37 AM
    Subject: Re: MD Evolution of levels

    > Yale,
    >
    > No problem indeed. But, just to clear something up. I am a dabbler in
    things
    > put to the list that don't entice me to explore them. I am an explorer of
    areas
    > and ideas I have been enticed to explore.
    >
    > Andy
    > > No problem. It was not written for dabblers like you, but rather
    explorers
    > > like Patrick. yale
    > > ----- Original Message -----
    > > From: <abahn@comcast.net>
    > > To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    > > Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 8:48 AM
    > > Subject: Re: MD Evolution of levels
    > >
    > >
    > > > Hi Yale,
    > > >
    > > > Thanks, but I'd rather take the easy way out. :-)
    > > >
    > > > Andy
    > > > > From: <abahn@comcast.net>
    > > > > To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    > > > > Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 5:33 AM
    > > > > Subject: Re: MD Evolution of levels
    > > > >
    > > > >
    > > > > > Hi Yale,
    > > > > >
    > > > > > I have read your paper. Or more honestly skimmed it. You seem to
    > > want
    > > > > someone
    > > > > > on the list to confirm your belief that there is a connection
    between
    > > > > Pirsig and
    > > > > > your paper (fractal philosophy). Why don't you just tell us about
    the
    > > > > > connection instead of making us needlessly wait in suspense.
    > > > > >
    > > > > > merely suggesting,
    > > > > > Andy
    > > > > >
    > > > >
    > > > > Hi Andy, the Fractal Philosophy paper at
    http://yalelands.com/frph.pdf
    > > is
    >
    > > > > meant to be read and commented upon by professional and amateur
    > > philosophers
    > > > > willing to bet some time (expend their to to hopefully get some
    > > worthwhile
    > > > > reward.)
    > > > >
    > > > > And I am sugesting that there is a lot in it about some interest
    aspects
    > > of
    > > > > hierarchies of levels and levels of hierarchies.
    > > > >
    > > > > Rather than keep you in suspense about where it might be sympatico
    with
    > > MoQ,
    > > > > permit me to reference comments by one of your memebers who actually
    > > took
    > > >
    > > > > the time to read and reflect upon it, instead of looking for the
    easy
    > > way
    > > > > out....
    > > > >
    > > > > Dear Yale,
    > > > >
    > > > > It was yours, the article? Then my apologies for my harsh comment at
    the
    > > > > beginning at the post about 'the author'. Uhm, let me put it more
    mildly
    > > > > what I said: the old Greek philosophers used this
    dialogue-technique, in
    > > > > which it was true that the writer assumed rather naieve and 'stupid'
    > > > > commenters. The technique you used addresses the reader directly,
    which
    >
    > > > > has the advantage that it can create a more personal touch, but in
    many
    > > > > cases I did't assume the stance you ascribed to your potential
    readers.
    > > > > And true, the recurring suggestions about the assumed stance of the
    > > > > reader kind of irritated me (which left the reader stupid and the
    author
    > > > > smart!). Anyhow, your style of writing was original and playful.
    Thus,
    > > > > the attempt had DQ, but the it didn't lead (in my humble opinion) to
    a
    > > > > static quality-form it potentially could have.
    > > > > ;-)
    > > > >
    > > > > All the best, Patrick.
    > > > >
    > > > >
    > > > > And...
    > > > >
    > > > >
    > > > > Dear YL,
    > > > >
    > > >
    > > > > The pdf-file was interesting, although the ego-blown style of the
    author
    > > > > irritated me. It does have similarities with Pirsig seeing Lila. In
    the
    > > > > café he notices she notices that he is watching her, and she notices
    > > > > that he notices that she notices he is watching her, etc. ad
    infinitum.
    > > > > Like standing between two mirrors, you have a reflection of a
    reflection
    >
    > > > > of a reflection. The fellow of this pdf-file applies a similar
    strategy.
    > > > >
    > > > > Two things I found particularly interesting:
    > > > > The first is that he uses a mathematical metaphor of the seemingly
    ease
    > > > > of going away from a spot: Any direction is adequate, north, west,
    south
    > > > > or inbetween. Finding a good alternative narrows you options
    > > > > considerably, however. The place you want to go is either north or
    south
    > > > > or another particular direction. What Pirsig says about the
    > > > > hippie-movement is that the hippies were good at walking away from
    the
    > > > > center of the western culture of the sixties- they didn't, however,
    know
    > > >
    > > > > where to turn to. That's why the movement virtually bleeded to
    death.
    > > > >
    > > > > The second thing I found interesting was the notion of aming at
    turning
    > > > > towards turning towards something. It has a relation with the
    concept
    > > > > of free will. What does it mean to turn your attention to something
    (to
    >
    > > > > will something)? In order to do that, you have to change your
    thinking
    > > > > from this to that (to the topic you want to focus on). And how do
    you
    > > > > initiate this change? By accelareting from some zero-point, so that
    you
    > > > > can accomplish an amount of changing your attention. But how do you
    > > > > start to accelerate? By starting to accelerate you acceleration.
    This
    > > > > leads to an obvious paradox. How is it ever possible to turn your
    > > > > attention towards something? How is free will possible? (This is a
    > > > > version of psychology's homunculi, by the way)
    > > > >
    > > > > The notion of a fractal philosophy is quite big and interesting.
    > > > > Relating such a big idea to the whole edifice of the MoQ seems to me
    > > >
    > > > > daunting. Nevertheless interesting. Maybe cartesian philosophy (SOM)
    > > > > tries to zoom in on a fractal- hoping someday to see the ultimate
    > > > > building blocks! Pirsig would say: Hey, you're just going in one
    > > > > possible direction. There are others, not only by 'zooming in' but
    by
    >
    > > > > staying at one level and walk around there, or better: zoom in a bit
    but
    > > > > going to the 'left' simultanously. (Fits into another metaphor of
    > > > > Pirsig: His idea of a chaqautua meaning to deepen the riverpaths of
    our
    > > > > behaviors, instead of creating new ones only to end up in one
    shallow
    > > > > homogenous river.)
    > > > >
    > > > >
    > > > >
    > > > >
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