From: Scott Roberts (jse885@earthlink.net)
Date: Fri Oct 08 2004 - 05:04:32 BST
Joe,
> [Joe] Intellect is only one pole of evolution. I find evolution itself the
> more interesting subject. I envision a sentient equally at a loss to
explain
> the origins of organic, social or intellectual levels from the inorganic
> level. In that sense I have to reject the idea that: "The unique
difference
> between intellect and the other levels is that intellect can reflect on
> itself." I would rather say that there is an increase in self awareness in
> the different levels. The ability of an individual of each level to
> interpret and manipulate the DQ which forms the level is an example of
self-
> awareness. The tree exhibits different behavior from the rock? The tree
> feeds. It responds to a force beyond gravity. Once three forms of
awareness
> to examine behavior proper to each is present to a sentient then I
envision
> a startling jump in self-awareness. Since the sentient is composed of
three
> different levels, the self-awareness of each is available for
consideration.
> IMO the moral levels, are present to awareness, and logic and behavior
arise
> from an awareness of the levels.
(Have you explored Arthur M. Young? His book The Reflexive Universe talks
of levels in terms of increasing degrees of freedom.)
The problem I have with this kind of analysis is: how do the new "forms of
awareness" come about? We (modernists) make an assumption that needs to be
questioned. It is that all that exists in earlier times is simpler than in
later times. Now it is certainly true that what we know about a human is
more complex than what we know about an earthworm, which is more complex
than what we know about a rock. But I stuck in the "what we know" to
suggest that maybe the earthworm that we know is only a fraction of what
one needs to know to fully appreciate the earthworm. A full understanding
might reveal ideational aspects as complex as anything else. So, with this
possibility, all forms of awareness that the human has are there with the
earthworm, though only some are apparent through empirical investigation.
This does not imply that an earthworm can think, only that there is
thinking going on in association with the earthworm (e.g., by its species).
> [JOE] I envision individuals having a center of gravity in one or the
other
> of the levels, and the remaining levels having decreasing influence.
> Increasing self-awareness is very important! I am very impressed with
Pirsig
> using of evolution to moral levels.
Yes, but as I describe above, that center of gravity may only be as we
understand it. Sort of like, though we see ourselves from the center, we
see only the periphery of rocks (or, the rock we see is on the periphery of
something much greater).
- Scott
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