From: Wim Nusselder (wim.nusselder@antenna.nl)
Date: Tue Jun 08 2004 - 11:15:24 BST
Dear ? (SWZwick.@aol.com),
You wrote 7 Jun 2004 04:56:25 -0400:
'My question is whether we should be categorizing these values (or functions
or whatever) [the needs for a "Feindbild" and for a view of the world as
ordered and predictable] based on where they originate or on where they
reveal themselves. There seems to be a lot of evidence that these functions
are hard-wired into our brains, a relic of our pre-tribal history as pack
animals.
...
a society that harnesses this neurological function to hold itself together
can be seen as good, so long as the resulting cohesion and focus don't
override the intellectual level.'
I supposed we were discussing patterns of value. In my (variant of the MoQ)
vocabulary 'patterns' is more important than 'value' in the expression
'patterns of value'. These patterns can be classified by the way in which
they are maintained: biological patterns of value by DNA-copying, habitual
and symbolic patterns of value (terms which enable clearer distinctions
between levels than 'social' and 'intellectual') by copying of behaviour
respectively motivations/explanations for action/experience. Alternatively
they can be classified by what they keep together: species/ecosystems,
societies or systems of ideas. Both ways of classifying lead to the same
classification.
Biological patterns of value originate in the inorganic level: in DNA and
protein molecules that have -at the social level- a Dynamic and and a static
function. That's no reason to call them inorganic.
As long as people raised individually and animals are not shown to develop
"Feindbilder" and worldviews (I don't think they do, but know of no
evidence) there's no reason to call them biological/habitual. Without such
evidence it's difficult to classify them with any certainty this way.
Determining what they hold together is therefore a better way to classify
them in this case.
A "Feindbild" (supposing that everyone belonging to the other group is an
enemy) is a low quality intellectual pattern of value. Although keeping a
society together with a "Feindbild" may be moral on the social/habitual
level (depending on the alternatives), it is immoral on the
intellectual/symbolic level given almost all possible alternative ways of
motivating action and explaining social behaviour.
With friendly greetings,
Wim
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