interesting,
hegel or marx? can our thoughts change the world, or does the world change
our thoughts. the "answer" is obviousy somewhere inbetween.
as david ballard point out few if anything in nature is in its ground state
(infact, there’s growing evidence that space, even the vacuum of space
itself isn’t in its ground state!). it’s true that everything in nature
tries to achieve the lowest energy state, but more often the important
question is “how” it achieves that (e.g. hurricanes, thunderstorms).
if i had to say what was "the" most important concept in the whole of
physics i'd say it would have be entropy
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entropy). Entropy has never been violated,
ever. indeed it is so predictable that it is the "arrow of time". if you
plan on going down the road of using physics/nature as guidance then i would
suggest (in my personal opinion) you include this concept. specifically the
part about “ordered systems”, in that an ordered system is less entropically
stable than a disordered system and that over time the universe will achieve
its maximum entropy (. . .sadly). entropy also encourages energy to be
disapated.
your proabably wondering where i’m going with this, well simply: when i was
a young lad, my a-level chemistry teacher (Dr O’Neil) and i used to talk a
lot about geeky science stuff (i still have his mobile and home telephone
number). one of our pet topics was a concept called “entropy of
civilisation”. we thought it explains why empires form and crumble (think
the roman empire). in order for a system to maintain its internal ordered
stucture it must “help” increase the entropy of the universe. hence the net
effect will be an increase in entropy and no violation of thermodynamics.
humanity is favourable because it increases the entropy of the universe; we
introduce disorder to this world (regrettably). as humanity changes
throughout the ages more entropic forms of it emerge - anything else would
be counter intuitive. humanity either ceases to exist (to be replaced with
some other agent) or increasingly becomes more entropic – both internally
and its external influences upon the world.
of course “entropy of civilisation” is a complicated principle and verges
*strongly* (*very strongly*) on pseudo science, not because the concept of
thermodynamics is flawed but because there are so *many* interacting forces
at play. it really needs at least “some” sort of mathematical treatment
otherwise you wont know which force is more dominant. but the jist, i
believe it that, well, marx/proudhon will get there minimal state one way,
or the other! centralisation of power and control is bad; the spread of
technology throughout the world to “stir things up” is good;
dissipating/using up stored forms of energy is good (hush you hippie lot!!
i’m talking in terms of entropy!); the spreading of humanity throughout the
cosmos is even better. if you’ve ever read iain banks concept of “the
culture” then you’ll know partially what i mean ;)
maybe we should in our daily lives think more about the entropic effect our
actions are taking. but then again, is entropy a good thing or a bad thing?
the jury is out on that question. “mother nature” after all isn’t
particularly maternal towards living creatures. her ethics don’t always
reflect human ethics. people who think everything in natural is wonderful
and beautiful and how we as humans should “live like mother nature intended”
are, in my opinion, suffering from selective amnesia. take for example
carnivores, cannibals, the law of the jungle, dog eat dog – perfectly
natural phenomena, but would you like people to live like that? we may end
up loosing our very humanity if we take our cues from nature. without the
rose tinted glasses, nature isn’t that pretty. it certainly isn’t as
altruist as some people dearly, *deeply* wish it to be.
this neatly brings us back to hegel or marx, nurture or nature. the truth is
somewhere inbetween. i think we should (possibly) be as “natural” as
possible, but. . . not too much!
as someone philosopher i believe onces said: there are no answers. if you
look, you'll find them [sic]. . . but there are no answers.
i hope this helps. i dont think there is any "correct method" for living or
thinking, it's just plain relativism.
nav
physics PhD student – should be doing “the last experiment” to verify 3
years of work aka. . . “the final solution” (sick internal joke - my lab is
a concentration camp). shouldn’t be writing longwinded boring emails, sorry
for making you read it! hope my supervisor isn’t on this list?!
From: Christopher McCOY <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Christopher McCOY <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: A Point of Interest for everyone...Correct methods
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 10:55:59 +0000
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Hi All,
Thought I'd put this down for your interests regards Testing and Knowing
whether or not your thinking or efforts regards to Humanity issues and in
Daily Life are correct:
One guiding principle considered/named in Physics circles is called the
"Principle of Least Action". All things, if given the opportunity, will take
this path of Least Action, the highest probability path in Quantum Physics
theory as an example, always tending to the ground (Natural) state.
This is how things work, and work best. Everything else is an Excited
state which requires energy input to feed and maintain in that excited
state.
This applies to so-called sub-atomic "particles", to the way you walk and
balance, to the way you hold a mug of coffee, to the way Human Society and
the illusion of the Economy works, to the way planets and Galaxies and
Supernovae operate, etc.
It requires a continual input of energy to keep things in an excited
state, and the excited state is less Stable - any sufficient other stimulus
will unbalance the state in question.
You can't fall from the ground (balanced) state. You can have your legs
swept away if you're not in this position, not grounded. This applies to
Human Society, Economy, subtly to all ways of Thinking, to Energy usage and
supply, etc as much as everything else, on EVERY scale/level. And
imbalance/being ungrounded/being in an Excited State gives rise to
CONSEQUENCES, energy demand, and CONSEQUENCES of that, and from falling from
the State - it gives rise to, or is created by, Fashions.
Enforcing what YOU think is the right thing at any particular time and
place howsoever well-meaning (which will change at a later date), is
creating an Excited state (a Fashion !!), from which things oscillate
around, up and down, endlessly, and/or eventually back to their stable
grounded state - from which debates/wars/arguments etc arise for example.
Have a Human Nation in its grounded state and it is Stable and invincible!
As just one example, what Economists seem to want (or have been
taught/culturally-impressed to want) at present is an example of the Excited
Unstable Fragile State we all know typifies so-called "Developed" Nations
(which are not as the discipline that comes from "advancement" has not be
earned or learnt) ! Economists, howver, who can support and direct a
grounded Economy will instead simultaneously aid all Life and existence on
the Planet (and beyond), and be able to use their talents in these fields to
do so Naturally ! Everyone wins here who has th!
e right,
non-greedy/unselfish, motives !
It's what the Tao Te Ching and most/all Religions are all about. It's
what one practices in Martial Arts and Healing - indeed you cannot
physically be moved by another in this mental state. It is, literally,
everything !
You all want to see people, the Planet, and Society, Wildlife etc in a
better state. May I be so bold as to recommend that all of you check you
desires and wishes against this rule/principle, and see how excited a state
you're actually creating, with its own Consequences - in every aspect of
Daily Life, whether buying clothes, a car, putting on a toaster, putting
your shirt/blouse on, talking to people, deciding how to address Climate
Change or so-called Humanitarian Crises, etc - in fact Everything, at all
levels ?! It's a good test if you have not already, as yet, (at this exact
moment)otherwise had the personal EXPERIENCES (and NOT Teaching !) that
facilitate internally understanding/feeling the above - this may come later
of course, I do not know !
It's what the "Idea" is all about, at all/most levels, both very mundane
day-to-day, most skills, and very deep, as appropriate for each person at
any particular time and place.
All the Best !! Good Luck to you All !
Chris. McCOY
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