Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Existence as Sets

Gregory Bateson distinguished the physical universe, Pleroma, from Creatura, the world of life. If you hit the billiard ball with precision what it will do is predictable; if you hit the dog the dog may run, may cower, may turn and bite you ... It's a different "universe": especially with regard to predictability.

Sorting existence into responsible taxons is essential to my theory of Macroinformation. Think sets and subsets. Think categories. Think logical levels ... estates ...

I propose subsets for Bateson's Creatura: first, Sentiens, the universe of intelligence, and, not only awareness, self-awareness.

Sentiens: Pathologica / Santora
Right away I caution: there are ambiguities in sentience which I suspect are quintessential, ineradicable. Sentiens can strive for sanity, but is always at risk of pathology. Are we pruning error, or burning witches?

I welcome feedback on my coined names for these categories (as I welcome feedback on anything).

My current thinking requires substantial revision of recent posts on the subject.



Notice, in terms of predictability: classical physics had seemed cut and dried; Prigogine's thermodynamics brings Pleroma much closer to Creatura. I wish Bateson could have known the work.

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