[MD] The Individual Level

[Platt Holden]

> Platt stated July 7th:
> 
> >Another reason why the intellectual level might better be called the
> >individual level:
> >
> >‘For purposes of MOQ precision, let’s say that the intellectual level
> >is the same as mind. It is the collection and manipulation of symbols,
> >created in the brain, that stand for patterns of experience.’ (LC, #25)
> >
> >‘The brain,’ a biological pattern, exists only in the individual. There
> >is no such thing as a social or collective brain.
> 
> Ant McWatt comments:
> 
> Firstly, social patterns exist in the brain just as much as intellectual
> patterns.

In that sense, all patterns exist as symbolic representations of 
experience in the individual brain.

> As with notions of honor, thrift etc, the only place a
> “collective” mind possibly doesn’t exist in a brain (or, at least, is of
> no value) is a person stranded by themselves on a desert island.

"You who prattle that morality is social and that man would need no 
morality on a desert island -- it is on a desert island that he would 
need it most. Let him try to claim, when there are no victims to pay 
for it, that a rock is a house, that sand is clothing, that food will 
drop into his mouth without cause or effort, that he will collect a 
harvest tomorrow by devouring his stock seed today -- and reality will 
wipe him out, as he deserves; reality will show him that life is a 
value to be bought and that thinking is the only coin noble enough to 
buy it." Ayn Rand, "Atlas Shrugged."

> Secondly, the notion of the individual (in the MOQ) is a social pattern,

The notion of an individual in the MOQ is an intellectual pattern of 
symbols in the brain that stand for an individual. The pattern of an 
individual in the MOQ consists of the four levels plus ability to 
respond to DQ.

Ant follows with a description of Buddhism, a description that contains 
multiple references to the individual including such as "you," 
"yourself" and "I." Example: "You are already enlightened.  All you've 
got to do is stop blocking yourself and get serious about attending to 
what's going on."

Best regards,
Platt