Re: MD Evolution of levels

From: abahn@comcast.net
Date: Thu Sep 11 2003 - 19:37:55 BST

  • Next message: Patrick van den Berg: "MD Meaningful cosmology?"

    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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