[MD] Quantum computing

[pholden at davtv.com]

Quoting Magnus Berg <McMagnus at home.se>:

> pholden at davtv.com wrote:

> > Seems to me a "thing" belongs to the level of its highest evolved state. Thus,
> > while a jellyfish consists of inorganic level "things" (atoms, molecules and
> > such)but belongs as a manifestation to the biological level -- and so forth on
> > up the evolution of consciousness ladder until you arrive at the independent
> > thinking human individual, the highest form of evolutionary progress to date.
> 
> It may seem simpler at first sight to do that. But it backfires pretty fast for 
> (at least) three reasons:
> 
> 1. You get the fuzzy borders between the levels

A little fuzziness here and there is OK. I don't know of any category that
can't be accused of being a little fuzzy at the edges. For example, biologists
are still arguing about what constitutes a species.
 
> 2. The dimensional aspect of the levels gets hidden and is replaced by a ladder 
> view, which only causes arguments about what thing belongs where. The inorganic 
> value of a thing is not removed just because it's alive. In other words, you 
> still have weight, even though you happen to have legs to move that weight
> around.

If you keep in mind that upper levels are supported by the lower I don't
see a problem. As for arguments, they will always occur no matter how you
divide up experience. So they're unavoidable.  

> 3. In my view, animals are societies of organs, but that doesn't mean they lose 
> their biological value. If you use your level rule above, it would end up in the
> social level, but that might not be the best way to describe an animal. (In 
> fact, I'd even raise it to the intellectual level. Please read back a few posts 
> in this thread to see why.)

Like Pirsig, I would reserve the social level to human beings so as to avoid
the issues you raise which muddies the waters without adding much to the
evolutionary moral hierarchy.  

Platt


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