[MD] The MOQ's First Principle

[david buchanan]

Ian said:
I actually believe we have a whole series of "onion-skins" making up the 
whole socio-cultural-intellectual levels.

Arlo replied:
I agree, but also think we have a whole series of onion-skins making up the 
inorganic and biological too. I mean the biological level jumps from an 
amoeba to a dolphin. Inorganic encompasses quarks to quartz.

dmb says:
Right, there are all kinds of distinctions to be made within each level. But 
I think the idea of cutting things up into the four discrete categories 
rather than a million of them or a continuum with none is that there appears 
to be a key distinction in the "laws" they seem to follow. Life defies and 
exploits the laws of nature for its own purposes and social values molify 
and tame the biological forces for its own purposes, even sacrificing a few 
bodies to war if that's what it takes. And so it is with intellectual 
values. Social and intellectual values are not concerned with the same 
things and play by a different set of rules. I suppose the distinction 
between the third and fourth levels is the most contentious simply because 
the other three are based on common sense. Even children know the difference 
between living things and inanimate objects. Anybody can see that morals and 
beliefs and ideas aren't physical things. The Cartesian idea of mind and 
matter is also common sense. And the distinction is probably hard to see 
because it seems so many MOQers are fond of confusing, complicating or 
otherwise undermining it.

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