From: ml (mbtlehn@ix.netcom.com)
Date: Thu Sep 02 2004 - 16:43:47 BST
----- Original Message -----
From: <hampday@earthlink.net>
To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 12:22 AM
Subject: Re: RE; MD the individual in the MOQ
>
> Ham Priday to Mel and Arlo
<snip>
> As for the semiotics of this response-mechanism, I plead ignorance. I'm
at
> a loss to understand Arlo's question: "can that amoeba ever know the
concept
> of heat?" Can either of you explain how a blob of protoplasm with no
neural
> components can be said to possess awareness, let alone "knowledge", of
> anything? And, what leads you both to conclude that it should have to?
mel:
As far as I know, an amoebas ability to sense enzyme traces
and fragmentary protien 'trails' is direct sensing of signs in its
environment and alleviates it from any need of symbols. Its
direct responses to direct stimuli is likewise unmediated.
On the other hand we seem to have blobs of protoplasm with
no known neural component in government service so... ;-)
>
> Semiotics was not taught in my college Philosophy or Logic classes. I've
> been researching some articles based on Charles Pierce's work on the
> Internet and, frankly, except for the fact that most conceptual thinking
> involves word symbols, I fail to see how these "'representations" of
> experience affect "primary" experience. How important is an understanding
> of semiotics to comprehending MOQ? Perhaps you can enlighten me. (A
plain
> English definition for "mediate" would be a good start.)
>
mel:
Semiotics seems to me a separate effort. More knowledge is usually
a better thing in general, but for MoQ it might be of limited value at
this 'initial' stage. (Much as linguistics is informative, we don't need
to much study of language to use it in this venue.)
To your second point, representations of experience do not
so much affect primary experience as they help us to gain a
better understanding of each other and each other's interpretation
of what their experience is like. Simple example: wine tasting.
[mediate: to create a commissure between disparate agents]
thanks--mel
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