Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Individuals assume arbitrary standpoints to deal with reality.

On page 45, of "Chaos, Dynamics and Fractals, an algorithmic approach to deterministic chaos", by J. L. McCauley, I read:

"By successive stages of simplification (by making approximations that are abstractly equivalent to discarding information), Lorenz finally constructed a model that he could analyze, and found deterministic chaos ..."

and in the footnote it further elucidates that process.

"Here we must admit that the word 'discard' is not quite appropriate, because we do not have such detailed information to begin with. If one had all the appropriate information (solutions for different initial conditions), one could start by systematically ignoring large amounts of detailed information about complicated trajectories."

So it is not only, that we do not have all the information that there is, meaning that the information already exists, despite our inability to witness it and take it into consideration, but on top of it, even if we had the information, we would still systematically ignore it, as we can not deal with complicated trajectories. Our intellect is not equipped, our intellectual capacity is not enough, to deal with all the information that there is.

This statement freely associated in my mind, generalised, epitomises the standpoints all human individuals assume when it comes to deal with reality.

Since knowledge is limited this leads individuals to make arbitrary choices and based on these choices to define their stance. The objective approach is not enough, it can not unravel reality. The only thing achieved or achieves is to construct structure upon structure, that primarily exists in the minds of individuals who invented them in the first place. As it becomes more elaborate it grows bigger and bigger, a labyrinthine construct that serves little purpose in assisting the majority of individuals to achieve meaning.

Its goal being, to become easily accessible, within reach of more and more individuals, avoiding the constant introduction of obscure concepts, with tiny traces of meaning, unable to confer clarity, prone to multiple interpretations, to as many as the individuals it is exposed to. It becomes the goal not the means. Therefore becomes detached from reality and assumes an essence of its own.

A human construct, on a par to any elaborate architectural construction therefore described as elegant or other similar decorative definition. Its goal should have been to become accessible to more and more individuals by curtailing the plethora of concepts used, instead of lost in the relentless pursuit of inventing more stringent rules and rigorous procedures, to devote as much time towards simplifying the technical language used, by the use of widely accepted, firm footed concepts. Take an extra effort to present models to be, within reach of ever wider audiences, engage that audience in the reality search, increase the lines of attack as they will be provided by the plurality of approach, as each one engaged will contribute.

Propagate the subjective to conquer the objective.

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