[MD] Distinguishing Levels (Individual level)

[Arlo J. Bensinger]

[Platt previously]
Individual human beings with individual brains were instrumental in  creating
the Law of Gravity...
 
[Arlo]
Individual cells with individual nuclei were instrumental in creating
your brain. So what?

[Platt] 
When an individual cell has a thought, let me know.

[Arlo]
Collective activity of brains produced the Law of Gravity. And collective
activity by cells produced the brain. In both cases, lower level patterns are
"instrumental" in producing higher level patterns.

[Arlo previously]
Ah, I see. Back to the ol' absolute dichotomy. If I don't believe it was the
individual in isolation, I must believe the individual has no role whatsoever.
It's an inane dichotomy.

[Platt]
To you all dichotomies are insane. That's insane.

[Arlo]
Inane. Not insane. Dichotomies can be useful analogues. We speak of "day" and
"night", but let me tell you, brohter, you can't have one without the other
(like Sinatra says). Figure and ground. Interwoven, dependent and inseparable.

[Platt previously]
I'm not talking about properties. I'm talking about necessities. You can't have
thoughts without a human brain. This is basic stuff, Arlo.

[Arlo then]
Um, you can't have a brain without cells. Seems to me they are a "necessity".
But necessity and property are simply top-down or bottom-up ways of describing
the same thing. Your rhetorical shift, much as it's appreciated, is once again
off the mark.

[Platt]
Sorry you can't tell the difference between a property and a necessity.

[Arlo]
Congratulations, Platt! This response won the "Radio Talk Show Tactic Exemplar
of the Day Award"!

[Arlo previously]
Yes, Puddy Meow (I am not kidding) has a routine, just as I do, but this
hardly makes her a slave to automatic behavior.

[Platt]
I like the name of your cat. Very DQish.

[Arlo]
Sarcasm? The cat was a stray we took in. My daughter used to call it simply
"Puddy" to call it to the house for food and cream. The way she'd call it was
"Puddy... Meow!..." (thinking, I suppose that by making a meow sound, the cat
would come a'running). The name is then homage to my kind-heared little one who
felt empathy for a neglected stray.

[Platt]  
By the way, has it ever occurred to you that if there's a front edge of
experience there must be a back edge?

[Arlo]
Yep. A little thing called "static quality". Which is why its not "front edge".

Arlo