That 'intention' normally includes referring to an inner map or image of an objective is part of what I meant by our 'abuse' of language. I thought it was a productive question, perhaps, but the word didn't work that well for describing the whole range of apparent system goal seeking tendencies. There clearly are a variety of systems that have and follow internal images, but you can see it in their behavior and find it in the physical structures they do it with.
Maybe I can mention the closely related problem that first set me off looking for other kinds of answers. The structure of natural systems organized around resource pools, building the network of relationships loops through free exchange, points the arrow of causation backwards. It means that it's the consumer that determines whether a product is a waste or resource, not the producer. Natural systems involve properties of things that are discovered, not predetermined, organization built and fed by opportunity, not driven by necessity! Natural systems are built around a combination of 'push' and 'pull' connections. In system models built in computers I believe tables of properties are set only by the sending rather than receiving end of a connection. I can't say how to flip that to make market connections work like free exchange pools do in nature, just that it's a basic problem for comparing computer models to natural systems. As a suggestion, it means something like hanging a new picture on the wall of your mind, call it a window even though it may look blank at first, through which you learn how to see the parts of the world where causation works backwards. I find there's good technique and lots to find. Phil Henshaw ¸¸¸¸.·´ ¯ `·.¸¸¸¸ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 680 Ft. Washington Ave NY NY 10040 tel: 212-795-4844 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] explorations: www.synapse9.com > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jochen Fromm > Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 7:57 AM > To: 'The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group' > Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Intentionality is the mark of the vital > > > > I must admit I was not fully aware of the > philosophical background for "intentionality" > http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/intentionali> ty/ > Maybe I > confused "intentionality" with intentions. > I am > not sure what "intentionality" really means. > Nevertheless, the aspect of "intentionality" as > world-directedness seems to be interesting (lat. > "intendere" means being directed towards some goal > or thing, to aim in a particular direction): > "intentionality" as existence of a "force" which > directs evolution and constraints a sequence of > events (incl. possible behaviors and actions). Systems > with "intentions" can be considered as organizers, > they try to organize things by imposing their order > specified in internal plans or schemas on the sequence of > external events. > > Liveless, physical material has no intentions, even > if it is subject to evolution (evolution as gradual > development through time, lat. "evolvere" means to > unfold, unroll), it evolves usually towards a more > uniform, disordered state. Evolution in general > is not directed into a particular direction. It > has no direction, no plan and no goal. A closed > system without non-living elements evolves always > towards greater disorder, to a more equally > distributed state. > > -J. > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
