[MD] The Top Down Fallacy

[ian glendinning]

Krim, Gav,

Krim you quoted me here ..
"Certainly there is interaction and higher levels can and do impact
lower levels, a point taken up by Ian and occasionally Arlo. But no
higher level pattern can materially disrupt the lower level patterns
it depends upon without drastic consequences."

And then took exception to Gav's tetralemma version of both and
neither, top down and bottom-up.

Gav is right. The causation is in both directions (even in forward
time - whatever that is) Causation is in fact a pretty limited
metaphor here - I prefer Paul (Turrner)'s "dependent arising".

Of course higher patterns CAN disrupt lower patterns, the point is it
is BETTER if they don't do this without caution for the consequences.
(This principle is called "hygiene" in some circles. To take a literal
example ... having the rest-rooms cleaned in your place of work has no
value to your occupation, but has huge negative value if allowed to
not do happen.)

Ian