[MD] MOQ Levels

[Steve Peterson]

Hi Christopher,


> I am young, and compared to a lot of you I am very new to this, but I 
> firmly
> believe that a fundamental mistake is taking place here. I feel that 
> the
> major criticism of the SOL is mainly based on some vague impression 
> that if
> rationality (SOM) is the 4th level that would diminish the Quality of 
> the
> other levels - that to recognize that would be saying that the other 
> levels
> aren't as "Good". It is not really so. They are static patterns of 
> Good, all
> by themselves, and nothing diminishes that. The SOL makes a quite 
> clear cut:
> I think this is what Bodvar means, it doesn't leave anything, It 
> doesn't
> harm anything, it's a tool, to make the MOQ work as good as possible. I
> think It might do just that. Nothing is lost, but a lot is gained. I 
> think
> it is as simple as that.  I say, and do please challenge me on this, 
> that
> most of the opposition to this comes from the misunderstanding of  the 
> SOL
> diminishing everything that is not within the 4th level. It doesn't 
> really
> do that. This is not advocating the SOM, this is not going back to a 
> preZMM
> understanding, it is just making the MOQ run more smoothly.


Steve:

The levels are levels of...of...levels of what?? They are better 
thought of as types of patterns. We infer Value from patterns of 
preferences... even a preference for rocks to fall down rather than up.

The MOQ describes four types of patterns of value situated in an 
evolutionary hierarchy: Inorganic patterns, biological patterns, social 
patterns, and intellectual patterns.

The intellectual level contains all patterns of thought. Making 
subjective/objective knowledge distinctions is just one of these 
patterns of thought. Arguing that reality = Quality is another pattern 
of thought.

Regards,
Steve