[MD] The 4th. level's two interpretations. Part 1

[Ham Priday]

On Wednesday, 10/28/09 2:34 AM, "markhsmit" wrote to All:.


> Social consciousness is unfelt by us, but we can tell that it does
> form a consciousness by observing that it does have behavior.
> What it is actually thinking can only be roughly deduced.

One of the mistakes we make in categorizing our world is to equate 
consciousness with "behavior."  This is an intellectual form of animism.  A 
computer, an automobile, a bouncing ball, and the climate exhibit behavior, 
but they do not have consciousness.  Consciousness is not measured 
objectively and can only be affirmed (subjectively) by the "knower".

The collective behavior of mankind is social history.  Collective knowledge 
is defined as intelligence, not "intellect".  It is important that we 
distinguish euphemisms (i.e, reifications) like "the collective 
consciousness" and "social intellect" from cognizant awareness which is 
proprietary to the individual. Philosophers who fail to make this 
distinction are deluded by a flawed epistemology which, I regret to say, is 
the basis for the MoQ levels hierarchy.

Essentially speaking,
Ham