[MD] Emergent Consciousness

[Platt Holden]

Ian:

Read on, McDuff. You have nothing to lose but some static ideas. :-)

Platt

> Platt, earlier in this thread, before you and I eventually got to
> "first-base" on emergence from interactions (aka Quality), you threw in
> here "You should read Atlas Shrugged"
> 
> Having previously read some of Rand's non-fictional philosophical
> work, I've not been impressed with her apparent stereotypical
> "objectivisim" - that won't surprise you - in fact I've blogged about it
> in previous years and "moved on".
> 
> Anyway given your repeated plea, I have actually obtained and started to
> read Atlas Shrugged. Given that I'm about 180 pages through my 1000 page
> edition, I need to know why I'm reading it ?
> 
> The curiosity keeping me going so far is "why did Platt recommend it,
> what message did Platt think I would take away from it." I'd be
> interested to know.
> 
> There are plenty of characters, central and incidental, that say a
> wide range of philosophical (and political) things about business and
> motivation. Some of it convincing, some of it claptrap (some of
> deliberately so, some of it maybe unintended no doubt). The point is,
> given that I'm sticking my neck out at this point less than 20% of the
> way through, I can see all the set-ups that are going to get resolved or
> turned on their heads as we go along. Suspending disbelief for a moment,
> that Rand is a "clever" novelist I could be interested in how some of
> those turn out, despite the fact that there are a lot of fictional
> elements I find hard to swallow - as an engineer with (real) interests
> from metallurgy to business operation and management.
> 
> But I have the sneaking suspicion the characters whose opinions I find
> credible are the ones you (and Rand) will conclude are speaking
> claptrap. Where does this story actually take us as far as morals and
> purpose, capitalism and social engineering are concerned. Platt ?
> 
> Ian
> PS - What makes me really nervous is that all the "glowing credits" to
> "Rand's genius" on the back and inside covers are all from the "The Ayn
> Rand Institute", not from any credible independent sources. I must be
> some kinda mug ?