Roger, Platt, Jonathan and all aware and unaware people.
ROG:
Does someone want to try to wrap up the issue and offer a solution that
we can all agree on? Or do we still need to hash out a few issues?
Marco, you still out there?
MARCO:
Here I am! I'm very flattered you ask for my intervention for a
solution. I think we all are perfectly *aware* :-) that an eventual
awareness of atoms has to be considered quite different from our
awareness/consciousness. IMO there is not a substantial disagreement
about the behavior of electrons: it is just a disagreement about the
term. Of course, I'm with Jonathan and I also think that if the MOQ
pretends to be a successful philosophy, we have to suggest/accept
modifications on language. Actually, the Q- suffix used on this forum
to distinguish the MOQ terms by the common terms is a good solution. So
Q-morality is not morality, Q-society is not society, and so on. That's
why I've been talking of Q-awareness.
Anyway, I don't know if I'm going to offer a solution. Pushed by Platt's
words:
«Perhaps Jonathan's "au courant" gets this idea across as well as
anything suggested so far, though I'd prefer an English phrase. Maybe
there are other expressions we can use that ascribe value-sensitivity to
atoms without, like Frankenstein, bringing them to life to Roger's
horror. As far as I know, the English language doesn't have a word for a
barely experienced experience. Suggestions welcome»
I'll try to find out a good term. Firstly, I attempt to deepen the
meaning of "awareness", in order to understand if the usage of the term
has a sense about atoms.
I've found that in Italian we could translate the French au-courant
"Essere all'altezza", that means "to be up to the task", "to be able".
Was it the meaning you were suggesting, Jonathan?
Anyway, I tried to further investigate the etymology of awareness. In a
precedent post, I wrote:
«I don't know the etymology of "aware", I just have found that the Old
English term was "gewaer", and it does not recall to me any Latin
connection. I'm not able to think in English, so when I write "aware",
I think "consapevole", or "conscio"; that is, retranslated to English:
"conscious". (Andrea, correct me if I'm wrong). Actually both the
Italian terms contain a reference to an "inner knowledge" : con-scious
is "with science". So, what does it mean to be aware? IMOE (In My Own
English) it's "to well know how to do", without the need of an external
guidance»
Well, it does not seem so different from that "Au courant"...
"Aware", Old English: "Gewear". I wrote I was not remembering Latin
terms like that.... but Italian is not Latin. We also have taken many
words from German, Slav, Arab...
Clearly the root of aware is the same of "wary" and "ware". Maybe also
the same of "war"?
It could be that to be AWARE means simply, to be ready for the WAR. I
imagine a tribe, and a chief who gives instructions to a soldier. "If
the enemy comes, we call it WAR. You have to be WARY. BEWARE of the
enemy, ok? WATCH, and keep yourself AWAKE. Well, now you are AWARE of
your duty. See you tomorrow morning"
Let's examine these terms. A good term for that soldier is "Watcher". In
Italian, "To Watch" is "Guardare" and "Watcher" is "Guardia". It's not
a coincidence that our term for "War" is "Guerra" (surely it has a
Germanic origin, as the Latin term was Bellum). As you see, in both
cases your current initial "W" is our initial "GU", and the fact that
the Old English term for "aware" was "gewaer", makes me think that we
are probably talking of the same root. Actually, English has taken
lately (by French) the term "Guardian", that is in significance and
etymology the same as "Watcher".
Anyway, let's go back to our Guardian/Watcher. Usually the Guardian is
alone. He receives instructions; then, armed, aware, awake, waits...
able to recognize the possible danger from any false alarm, and in
consequence, able to choose. When the enemy comes, he could also run
away, breaking the laws of the tribe. He will choose between his own
good and the good of the tribe. Autonomous. Another good term. In
Greek, Self-Law. The sentinel, alone in the night, holds in his hands
the choice. No need for commands: he will act following the law he has
inside.
And the electron? Can we say it's "Aware"? Could be. Actually, when we
isolate it for an experiment, it demonstates that when it's alone it's
also able to choose its acts with no need for instructions. I tried to
show that "aware" could be considered something less than "conscious",
so I think that we could use the term. Anyway, if still "aware" is too
strong, I suggest "AUTONOMOUS". A good term to mean it's self equipped
to face reality: independent of the laws we invent for it (like Forces,
Causation... ) as the "real law" is inside the electron. "Autonomous"
seems less embarrassing than "aware" or "conscious", and IMO better than
"prehensible". And more, smells also of freedom. Free to choose.
Could it be?
Marco.
p.s.
Roger, I think you have exaggerated more than a bit about my English.
Anyway, many thanks.
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