Emergence: From Chaos to Order
Notations
CHAPTER 11
Metaphor and Innovation
METAPHOR AND INNOVATION page 203
Board games [E1] are
not usually accorded the same primacy as numbers, but to my mind they are an
equally important cornerstone[E2]
in the scientific endeavour. In particular, I think [E3] board
games, as well as numbers, mark a watershed in human perception of the world. A board game
qua game only exists because the players act within the agreed-on constraints[E4]
set by the game’s rules. Though the rules must be fully and compactly specified
for the game to be “playable,”
[E5] they
can[E6]
be
contrived freely relative to the real world[E7] ,
subject
only to incidental physical constraints involved in movement of pieces and the
like.[E8]
This freedom from direct physical constraints encourages modifications in the
rules, accompanied by empirical judgements as to which rules yield a better
game. This freedom from direct physical constraints encourages modifications in
the rules, accompanied by empirical judgements as to which rules yield a better game[E9] .
Each new try amounts to a new miniature universe governed by fully defined
laws. It is not a long step from such an outlook to the idea that the world
itself may be rule governed.
Above all, board games[E10] , unlike numbers in their raw form, capture
the dynamic of unfolding actions and their consequences. There is an initial
position, and the successive actions of the players give rise to a succession of
positions, all within the constraints provided by the rules. Different actions
cause different successions. Cause and effect, as well as the possibility of
controlling the outcome, become obvious in this context.
The rules of the
game expand to become the “rules of logic” as we move forward in time from the
board games of the early Egyptian dynasties. Thales’ advocacy of “logical
speculation” —the counterpart of our search for rules to explain systems
exhibiting emergence—moved rule making to a broader interpretation. This
logical speculation required adherence to agreed-on rules of reasoning,
followed by a comparison of the results with the real world. Thales
specifically supported logical speculation as an alternative to traditional
myths as a way of understanding nature.
From Thales on
attempts to model the world within a logical framework encapsulating cause and
effect became increasingly sophisticated. From Euclid's geometry we went on to
such triumphs as Kepler’s model of the solar system and Newton’s laws of the
universe. The sine qua non of these models is a small, easily comprehended set
of laws that yields a wide range of testable consequences[E11] .
page 204 EMERGENCE
In the nineteenth
century, Sir Charles Lyell and his compatriots developed their models based on
the rate of weathering of mountains and sediment deposition. A whole new
conception of the world and its age came into being. suddenly there was room
enough and time for things to evolve, allowing an explanation for the hitherto
mysterious skeletons of “monsters” that had been encountered in quarrying. The
laws were simple and the conception was testable. Even more important, the laws
fit the constraints imposed by newton’s laws. When Darwin came along with his
astute observations and connections, embedding all within the constraints of
Lyell’s geology, he gained a credibility that his grandfather, Erasmus, never
had, though Erasmus’ imaginative insight was of an equal order.
[E2]cornerstone
.. not a ..scientific word .. the vocabulary used .. narrating .. than
..reporting ..reviewing .. subjective approach .. not using words that convey
an objective approach ..
[E4]the
far utmost ..implications .. of this statement .. the consequences .. a board
game to exist .. a system ..to exist .. I would say ..political system to exist
.. because the players act within agreed-on constraints .. the societies ..the
political game they are engaging/ed on .. players act on agreed upon rules .. a
whole new perspective ..by which to look upon ..politics ..
the political arena ..fit the game as it ought to be ..
if players we are .. should be on terms ..laws .. agreed on .. by all ..
[E5]a
“playable” game .. rules must be fully and compactly specified .. the political
game must be playable ..
[E6]world systems, economy and so on .. is
nothing but a game .. set up by individuals ..portraying their ideas about the
real world, a mixture out of their personal (experiences) or better --perceptions
[E7]rules
..laws .. contrived=deliberately created rather than arising naturally or
spontaneously .. (capitalism natural ..so proclaimed) contrived freely relative
to the real world .. the real lives of the players ..
[E8]rules
.. subject only .. to incidental physical constraints .. involved in movement
of pieces .. pieces and players .. players as pieces .. pieces ..emancipated ..
democracy
[E9]engaged
.. involved .. as players .. and not as pawns .. as they were assigned to be ..
demand to set the rules .. in the realm
of .. agreed-on ..
their meteoric rise .. from pawns to players .. and the
subsequent absorption by the system .. assimilated in the game being played .. a
betrayal of their origins .. to humanity itself .. as they perpetuate the
system .. a system by its blueprints .. false .. fake .. capitalism ..under
false pretences.. accepted if only become a turncoat .. yield to the system ..
propagate the system .. for measly returns .. in front of the entire humanity’s
endeavour constant strive to better self
..
[E10]to
surpass the boundaries of beliefs ..wishes .. to the realm of logical
consequences .. rational ..reasoned .. like scientific truth .. accepted .. universally
.. chaos universal and ubiquitous .. existence of rules .. principles ..
[E11]consequences
.. uprisings .. they will happen .. because they ought to .. humanity demands
them .. it would be slur .. in the face of humanity .. if one wishes .. thinks
.. that should not happen ..
No comments:
Post a Comment