Hi Chris,
I do not disagree that a lower level pattern may be overlaid and
controlled
by a higher one, all I'm saying is that intellect doesn't control the
social level only because we have democracy. Intellect controls the
social
level when intellectual values are always more central than social ones.
I
can imagine that when everyone within a democracy let's rationality
supersede social level values every time they are in conflict - that
would
be the ideal state for the intellectual level.
Two problems with relying on intellectual level rationality.1) Reason
alone
(SOM) doesn't provide a basis for moral judgments. 2) "So convenient it
is
to be a rational creature, since it enables us to find or make a reason
for
everything one has a mind to do." -- Benjamin Franklin. Obviously 1 and 2
are related. Example: In the current presidential contest there is no lack
of reasons on either side to cast one's vote.
Platt
You have a point. However, Intellectual level rationality, or, what that is
aimed at - Truth - is evolutionary superior to social-level values.
Rationality, as one method aiming towards truth, but not the only one, is
still better to have as the guiding principle of society rather than social
values like patriotism or stuff like that. The best thing we can do then,
would be to try to build a society where people can value truth. And I say
"can" because people must to some degree be freed from social level
dominance in order for intellectual valuing to be supreme - that's what we
should build for. Just as the social level made it easier to get away from
only biological values, it strengthened it's position, in the same way the
intellectual level must build on and reform the social level in order to
make truth more valued.
Do I make sense?
Chris
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