Unsolved question
The identity question has been addressed by Wittgenstein, as he mused "what
is identity? If a thing is the same as an other thing then they are not two
things." - but here he left off. So, the question of identity of whatever
(in this our discussion, presently, ethics) is rather unsolved as such.
Sets of references
The main point with identity, and with ethics, too, appears to be that we
compare an expected set of values to an observed set of values. We compare
remembered values to observed values. We remember how it should be and we
see how it is. We end up with a set of transcendence and a set of reality.
Between these two we continuously compare.
Ethics to moral : autoregulation to heteroregulation
The polarisation is also known as egotistic and altruistic motivation. A
system optimising its own pleasure will behave in a maximally ethical way, a
system optimising the wishes of others will behave in a maximally moral way;
ethics being the system of congruences between inner expectations and
(self-)observed behaviour, moral being the system of congruences between
externally expected roles and (self-)observed behaviour.
Overoptimisation
If one behaves exclusively self-optimising, one will lose the group's
respect. If one behaves exclusively servile, one loses the self-respect.
Usual range
We implicitly expect among each other to behave in a moderate,
middle-of-the-road, common-sense way. We agree about quite many ranges of
optimal, usual, preferred, normal, reasonable extents, even if we do not
take the time to enumerate them.
Proposal
Let us get down to the hard rock solid foundation of what is usual, normal,
frequent, ordinary in the world. The same numeric functions govern our
interpersonal (and intrapersonal) proceedings, too. We agree about the usual
extent of variability in a group. We know if it is getting too boring and we
know if it is too abrupt, unconnected, conflictuous - not uniformly
neighboured the steps.
Variability, freedom and identity
We discuss predictions and extents of variability. We predict the behaviour
of a person and compare it to a usual range just like we predict the
position of a DNA marker and compare the extent of changes we expect to
generate by this marker (as opposed to a different marker on the same
place).
Basis of predictions
We use (in our brain and in our system) a duality which roots in the
similarity and the difference of the things the world is made up of. Our
conscious thinking has been drilled to observe and take into account the
similarity property of the things the world is made up of. The other set of
values we operate on is the background, relative to which we observe the
similarities. We do not discuss the properties of the background because we
do not notice it, it being the background.
Dissimilarity property
I wish for an elementary school math book where not only 1+1=2 is given as
an axiom and a rule but also 1 # 2 # 3 ... as well. If the next generation
grows up by learning to observe the dissimilarity (as a countable property)
of things and of concepts, as legitimate and fruitful as the similarity
property, then we shall be able to understand the concept of identity.
Ethical and observed behaviour
These both are frequency distributions. If a behaviour agrees to the dot to
the other, we have identity (between expectation and observation). The main
point is too trivial to be noticed: that we have TWO sets of references
which are somehow connected. The same rules govern the interplay between any
TWO sets of references, be it physics, chemistry, economics, genetics or
interpersonal communications. There is always a set of expectations
("Sollwert") against which a second set of values ("Istwert") gets compared.
Forces and predictions
A rigorous translation of everything and all into probability extents opens
up nice new ways of looking at, e.g., forces. Gravitation is specifically a
prediction about a place. In human behaviour, we also predict the behaviour
table and measure the force of the urge on that, how predictably we
encounter an element of the repertoire.
Karl
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Received on Thu Apr 27 16:37:32 2006
