[MD] The Intellectual Level of Quality, according to Mark

[markhsmit]

On Feb 18, 2010, at 3:14:44 PM, "Ham Priday" <hampday1 at verizon.net> wrote:
Hi Mark and All --

On 2/17/10 at 8:49 PM, Mark wrote:


> Hi Ham,
> Thank you for your analysis. The difference between us is this:
> In your ontology everything arrises from the individual's sensibility.
> For me, we are part of something much larger.
> My definition of intellectual is the abstraction of such sensibility
> in what you call intellectual concepts. Their source is irrelevant.
> I do not see the difference that you do in distinguishing intellectual
> from other forms of abstract thought.

Indeed, we are all "part" of a greater reality than our finite existence. 
But, logically, we cannot be "part" of the Absolute Source of existence. I 
have no disagreement that intellectual concepts are "abstractions" of 
sensibility. But sensibility encompasses experienced sensations, images, 
feelings, emotions, dreams, and desires, as well as intellectual 
abstractions. In your definition, you say
"their source is irrelevant." I wonder what the pronoun "their" refers to 
...the abstractions, or the abstractor?

Let me try an "intellectual experiment" on all of you. Forget everything 
you've learned from the MoQ or your favorite philosopher. Imagine that you 
our starting out afresh to explore the world in an attempt to fathom its 
nature.

We observe the sun rising over the horizon as a new day begins. This is a 
phenomenon. We call it by many names: "dawn", "daybreak", "sunrise", 
"morning", and we've learned that it is "caused" by the rotation of planet 
earth relative to a solar star called the Sun. We've also learned that the 
brightness of the sun that illuminates our day is a result of burning gasses 
of which the sun is composed. In addition to being relational, like the 
rising moon and the ocean's tides, we know that dawn is a cyclic phenomenon, 
and would be greatly distressed if it failed to occur one day.

Like sunrise, most events are relational in space, periodic or cyclic in 
time, and familiar occurrences. We arise, dress, have breakfast, go to 
work, review the happenings of the day, interact with other people, return 
home, have supper, read the paper or watch TV, and retire to bed in 
preparation for the next day's happenings. Occasionally we discover 
something different about our world--a new book, a new acquaintance, an 
unknown flower--and we add it to our catalog of intellectual knowledge.

Of course, what I've been calling phenomena and events is better known as 
Experience. And the observer of this experience is you or me. In the 
absence of observers there would be no experience, so experience is 
subjective in nature. The question you need to ask youself is: To what 
extent is experience also "essential" in nature? Or, to put it another way, 
is the subjectively experienced world an objective reality? You might think 
you know the answer, but you actually don't. All knowledge is derived from 
experience. Everything known is an interpretation of the experience of 
observers like you and me.

Man has designed instruments and built machines that extend his experience 
to quantum and cosmic levels, but we've seen that there's a breaking point 
at which the events so observed can no longer be quantified or even 
predicted. The universe is an experiential system whose values are 
proprietary to the individual observer. We can not directly experience or 
know with certainty the essence of our existence. Thus, all ontology is 
speculative or theoretical and the fundamental truth of reality is hidden 
from us.

Now, put on your MoQ cap and tell me how non-experiential Quality (Value) 
fits this intellectual paradigm or can stand as its essential source.

Thanks for lending me your intellect. I hope this little experiment proved 
helpful in separating reality from fantasy.

Best to all,
Ham
Hi Ham,
That's easy.  Quality is what is experienced by your brain.  First comes Quality,
then along comes your brain to experience it, it is the source of your 
experience.  Else wise your brain would be living in a white room with black
curtains, by the station.

Oh, by the way, to answer your question above about "their" source, I was
referring to the abstract thoughts.  Yes, they are all physical in source,
whether it be choosing a banana, or deciphering the Rosetta Stone,
it is all abstract intellect.

Cheers,
Mark




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