Magnus Berg (MagnusB@DataVis.se)
Sat, 27 Sep 1997 18:33:06 +0100
Hi squad.
Jason wrote:
>Patterns
>of value that I see at the biological level include: sensory experience,
>basic
>life-support tasks, memory, emotions, an ability to respond appropriately to
>external stimuli and, finally, an ability to *learn* from this experience.
I think the "ability to respond appropriately to external stimuli" is
pretty much
all the organic level is about. I wouldn't include emotions or the
ability
to learn in this level but the others could be deduced from the
"ability...".
>At the next level of abstraction, our social influences come into play. An
>important point to note here (IMHO) is the fact that all value patterns from
>this point on are "subjective" in their nature. They have no independent
>material embodiment outside of the inorganic and biological patterns that
>they
>depend upon and influence. Examples of social value patterns might include:
> language, mores, cultural norms, established academic (historical,
>scientific,
>artistic, etc.) knowledge, political views, established religions, etc. This
>level is generally focussed on the multitude of ways that individual
>organisms
>may interact with one another. Hence, any aspects of consciousness which
>relate to this type of phenomena should be considered social in their nature
>(cultural or social mind?).
Here's where my view usually sticks out but I actually don't see why.
It fits exactly with both:
"They have no independent material embodiment outside of the inorganic
and
biological patterns that they depend upon and influence."
and
"This level is generally focussed on the multitude of ways that
individual
organisms may interact with one another."
A good example is a motorcycle, check it against both statements above
and
watch the match. I expect the main argument to be, but there's no
organic
patterns! Yes there is, since organic patterns are the "ability..."
above.
The ability of the carburettors is to provide fuel to the cylinders
depending on throttle input. The ability of the cylinder is to give
power
to the camshaft depending on fuel input and so on.
An assembled motorcycle is a motorcycle, a disassembled
motorcycle is a bunch of parts.
For you guys wanting references I can point to (ZMM Ch. 8),
'To speak of certain government and establishment institutions as "the
system" is to speak correctly, since these organizations are founded
upon the same structural conceptual relationships as a motorcycle.'
>
>Finally, we have the elusive intellectual level. My interpretation of this
>class of phenomena has changed greatly over the past few months -- largely
>due
>to the influence of this list. As such, I would very much enjoy hear some
>other views on this subject. Because the biological and social aspects of
>"mind" have already been accounted for in the biological and social levels,
>my
>current understanding is that the intellectual level contains patterns that
>operate on these lower levels to produce new values, insights, and ideas.
>Such
>patterns might include logic, reason, philosophy, theology, mathematics,
>music,
>art, rhetoric, and dialectic. I like Diana's earlier suggestion that
>intellectual patterns are concerned with the direct experience and awareness
>of
>Quality Events. I also feel that Dynamic Quality (in the form of intuition)
>plays a vital role at this fairly "young" level.
Patterns of every level are concerned with direct experience, i.e. DQ.
The
intellectual level is the most dynamic and therefore sticks out on this
issue. What's more important, with most other levels, we can see that
the
level above is really doing the influencing, Maggie's term was
mediation.
We can't see a level above the intellectual level, so all influencing
must?
be DQ.
And I still don't think DQ has any role *in* the static intellectual
level.
DQ has very much to do with *intelligence* though, don't mix them up.
> Magnus
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