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John, a very nice post - but I do have some quibbles. I don't think
that you can reduce the differentiation and subsequent networking of
these differences that is the basis of complexity----- to vagueness.
That is, complexity, which operates via both differentiations and
commonalities, is a key factor in the ability of the universe to
prevent entropy.
Therefore, the development of differentiation of Form, which implies
boundaries to that Form, and a severance of This from That, and thus
enables Secondness, is a reality in our universe. Just as is the
vagueness of Firstness and the commonalities of Thirdness.
Edwina
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On Sun 09/04/17 9:41 PM , John F Sowa s...@bestweb.net sent:
Helmut, Edwina, Jon, list,
Few borders in any realm, animate or inanimate, are clearly defined.
There is a continuum. The inanimate realm has extremes from sharp
boundaries (a crystal) to extremely vague boundaries (the earth's
atmosphere). The borders of living things are an intermediate case.
HR
> In animate world, organisms have clear borders, their skin
surface.
The surface is a vague boundary. All plants and animals have
exterior cells that are dead or dying (hair, skin, scales, bark)
and they have secretions (sweat, tears, oils, sap, resins).
The outer layers are always mixed with liquids and solids from
all kinds of sources (living or non-living), and they are subject
to various abrasions and adhesions -- deliberate or accidental
(e.g., a bird preening its feathers, animals scratching, grooming
themselves or others, rolling in the dust, or washing in water).
Even the interior is not well defined. There are many more billions
of bacterial cells than human cells in and on the human body. Some
of them are pathogens, but most are *essential* to human health.
HR
> I was thinking, that a token is something separate (discontinuous)
> by nature. But if it isn´t necessarily...
Many discontinuities are caused by the way we think and talk.
The Russian ruka corresponds to English hand + wrist + forearm.
We count trees by the number of trunks that grow out of the ground,
but an aspen may consist of a single root system with dozens of
trunks.
ET
> The fact that [a molecule's] composition is specific; i.e.,
> a specific number of electrons/protons/neutrons - gives it
> a distinct identity that differentiates it from another TYPE
> of chemical.
Very few molecules exist in isolation. For example, salt (NaCl)
rarely consists of Na-CL pairs. In a crystal, the atoms are
organized in a lattice where each atom is surrounded by atoms
of both kinds. In water, Na ions float independently of CL ions.
ET
> in the biological realm, ... Each token is more or less unique
> from other tokens even if they all belong to the same TYPE. That
is,
> a particular species of dog will, each one, be slightly different
> in temperament and even look, but all will be members of ONE
> particular Type/Breed of dog...
There are no clear boundaries between breeds (varieties) and
species. Dogs interbreed with wolves, which interbreed with
coyotes. Domestic cats interbreed with many kinds of wild cats.
The methods of genetic engineering use the same mechanisms as
gene transfers that occur naturally.
Furthermore, the DNA of every living thing is constantly changing
throughout life. Most epigenetic changes are normal and necessary
for maturation. Others may be harmful, beneficial, or neutral.
And many can be inherited. The only reason why DNA remains
relatively stable is that repair mechanisms in each cell are
constantly fixing errors -- but they don't catch all errors.
ET
> in the physico-chemical realm, the majority of tokens are similar.
> This gives the physico-chemical realm a great deal of stability.
The stability results from laws of nature (or known approximations
called laws of physics): conservation of mass-energy, momentum,
angular momentum, charge, etc.
But the question of "majority" depends on what you're counting.
Photons from the early universe can be stable for billions of
years. But the instant they hit your retina or a photocell in
a camera, they change.
Electrons, protons, and neutrons are relatively stable, but most
other particles are highly unstable. In quantum electrodynamics,
the vacuum supposedly consists of virtual particles that are
constantly popping in and out of a shadowy state that is on the
borderline of existence.
JAS
> biological Types are less restrictive and thus more flexible than
> most physico-chemical Types--which is one reason why biology is
> not reducible to chemistry and/or physics.
I agree that biology is not reducible to chemistry or physics.
But I'd say that the major difference was caused by the first
quasi-minds, which created the first non-degenerate Thirdness
(purpose, goals, or intentions).
John
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