Hi Jonathan, Elephant, Roger, Glenn and All:
Jonathan, I reread your essay *The End of Causality* in searching for
an answer to my question how novel qualities arise from the
rearrangement of elements that in themselves lack these qualities. In
doing so I was reminded that your answer is that the cause of change
is sometimes an *inherent tendency* suggesting a *quest or
aspiration.* In other words, hydrogen and oxygen atoms combine to
create water because they want to--it is their cause, not in the sense of
a mechanical process, but in the sense of a goal, purpose, quest, or
aspiration.
As you know, I wholeheartedly agree with your view as I believe it
accurately reflects the MOQ. We also agree, much to the consternation
of Elephant and Roger, that atoms are aware, i.e., are sensitive and
responsive.
Now since you are a scientist you know better than most what you are
up against in trying to convince your peers that your view of causality is
correct. Not only that, but I noticed in reviewing some of your posts
during the great *Are Atoms Aware* debate that you believe reality
depends on our perceptions.
JONATHAN:
I agree that atoms are an invention of the human mind, but maintain
that this and other similar inventions ARE reality. We conceive from
what we perceive and we perceive what we conceive. In this act of
perception/conception, we REALIZE our reality. The mystical approach
is to suspect everyday reality as a false god, or as trickery (MAYA). The
alternative approach (that I prefer) is to embrace everyday reality as our
own child.
This I am also in full agreement with. What we call reality or existence
is what we experience. Reality always occurs within awareness. That
there exists a reality independent of awareness is an untestable
assumption. (I go a bit further and claim that awareness contains a
built-in sense of value, but that’s another story.)
So it seems you are up against two widely held scientific assumptions-
-a reality independent of human observation and a mechanistic cause
of all phenomena. I hope your next essay will tackle these
assumptions head on even if your fellow scientists will be tempted to
drum you out of the corps along with Glenn and a few other dedicated
science types in the LS. (-:
Platt
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