Thursday, October 26, 2006
Taos, New Mexico
Abstract
Systems
of systems exhibit characteristics that cannot be modeled perfectly by
classical mathematics. The core
limitation involves the notions of coherence and inference. Deductive inference depends on
well-specified consistency. Relevance
depends on completeness. However,
ontological modeling allows the removal of constraints on completeness
and
consistency. Symbol sets are then
developed using a process methodology where logical coherence is
omitted and
observational information is allowed to form new symbols and alter the
traditional meaning of established symbols.
Induction of symbol system is separated from the imposition of
specific
theories of meaning. The induction is
seen to come mysteriously. Magical
transparency into systems of systems is then situationally induced.
Service Architectures and Systems
Methodologies for Stratified Systems
Given any well-recognized system, there will be many viewpoints about what the system is for, what the system is, and how the system might function. Whereas commonalities do exist, deep differences in opinions about system purpose are a central cause of model failures. We are referring to modeling of such systems as the educational system, or a response system developed by Federal Emergancy Response Management agency of the US federal government.
To model some systems we have scientific disciplines. Modeling the economic system turns out to be the life's work of thousands of PhDs. Modeling the cognitive system of humans is a similar task, occupying thousands of PhDs. So, if so many PhDs are working on modeling systems, modeling natural systems should be regarded as an open-ended proposition. If the systems are more complex, then the open ended-ness should be more pronounced.
Most books that I have read about the history or the philosophy of science takes the position that science is open ended. I certainly agree with the statement, but not with the inferences that often follow. I believe that natural science has come to a point where there is an extreme transparency possible on the nature of systems in general. For example, we may be coming very close to transparency on the nature of geological and whole earth phenomenon such as the nature of changes in the electromagnetic field, a field that provides protection to living systems from the particle and energy forces that radiate from the sun and from other sources. We may even be close to transparency on the relationship between economics and political power. The questions that open up before us have to do with consequences and how to take proper actions. What are actions for? How might actions be taken?
In Taos in 2006 I had personal experiences that lead me to adopt a specific language related to an alchemical transformation of intentional consciousness. The experienced transformations are two fold in nature. The first is in acknowledgement that the ground of social and psychological reality is artificial in nature. I do not feel that this artificiality is necessary, but that it is how things actually are. Perhaps it might be pointed out that artificiality has been the rule over all of mankind's history, with some exceptions. The development of the founding papers of the United States is, in my opinion, is one of these exceptions.
Most people around the world are talking and experiencing as if there are profound imbalances. Individual groups focus on different interpretations of what they mean by imbalances. In fact, the formation of theories about or viewpoints about system imbalances is as varied as opinions as to what important systems are for, what the systems are, and how the systems might function better. The first alchemical transform steps us away from these theories and viewpoints. We enter a state of awe.
The first alchemical transformation is from this natural ground, a natural ground experienced in an artificial way, to a state of mystery. In the state of mystery we do not know in a precise fashion. Our feelings are enhanced and the limits of our thinking process felt. We are in a state of astonishment. When mystery is entered properly, we no longer blindly accept the artificiality of social and psychological reality.
Once transformed, we fall back into artificial perceptions and viewpoints or we undergo a second transform. This second transform is into a sense of knowing. This sense of knowing is supported by clear knowledge of what actually exists. A clear knowledge acts through mechanisms that gain transparency on what ever is reasonably sought. This second transform is from mystery to clarity of perception. Clarity of perception enables magical control over one's reality and over some aspects of one's environment.
It is noted that there are several traps in this transformation from mystery to clarity of perception. One of these is an economic trap, where one develops an artificiality that preserves one's limited knowledge as a competitive advantage in a market place. There are other similar traps, all of which are routes to empire building. These routes to empire building amplify the ego. Empires are not flat organization structures. There have to be leaders and leaders allow themselves to be compensated more than followers. Everyone gets trapped. Artificiality arises again due to self-imposed limits on awareness.
Empire seeks to establish and preserve leadership, even if leadership means reducing the clarity that one acknowledges about the consequence of actions taken. Political leadership is a good example. The decisions of the leaders have to be regarded as being perfect because admitting mistakes leads to a weakness and loss of leadership. These traps require that we let go of the clarity and fall back into the ground of social and psychology reality as we now experience.
We acknowledge that a more perfect social and psychological realty could exist in the near future. If the social and psychological reality were more perfect, this falling back into empire building would not be prevalent.
I suggest that this clarity has a spiritual aspect, but that this spiritual aspect is and should be private and personal. The clarity also has a structural aspect. This structural aspect leads to correct and proper knowledge of the nature of existing systems and the transactions that are occurring within any individual system and between systems and other systems. This knowledge of structural relationships is vitally needed to restore balances in the many systems that we correctly perceive as being in imbalance.
I try to step away from the routes to empire when suggesting that I know something about systems. So what I suggest is that others look objectively at a proposition. The proposition is that change in social and psychological structure is possible through a magical knowledge of how everyday systems function. The systems I am speaking about exist here in our everyday experience. The systems are our health systems, our educational systems, our advertising systems, our media systems, our political systems, our economic systems, and our environmental systems.
Ontological modeling could change how most individuals come to view the systems that we are embedded with, are within us, and that we interact with. Classical mathematics changed the nature of science, improving the quality of information that was shared between science communities.
Science, until recently, was generally open to anyone who would spend the time required to learn the knowledge. But science reached limits that were not acknowledged, and fail into the trap of empire building. Today's science is not entirely degraded, but the profession of science is involved in maintaining status quo and in supporting proprietary and commercial interests. The mystery has been lost.
The challenge that I have taken on is how to produce a simple technology that anyone can use in both personal, and private, spiritual quests and in the description of systems that impact on the individual health, sense of well being, financial balances, and the balances of larger system than the individual; such as the environmental systems and political or economic systems in general.
I acknowledge the clarity of many others who live around me. We seek to be part of a generation of magicians, working with clear knowledge of what is, how it is, and why it is. We seek to make the two transitions available to anyone and to cause, through magical knowledge, an economic system where those who practice this type of positive magic can lead well-balanced and productive lives.
Systems have embedded systems and interact with other systems. Formative processes create new systems which then have embedded systems and interact with other systems. System boundaries change and often dissolve completely. Sometimes the cause of a system creation or dissipation is due to the needs of larger systems or the excess energy of systems that become imbedded in the new system. All of these dynamics are explained in simple terms, easy to understand because these dynamics are consistent with our everyday experiences.
In modeling systems we should keep in mind the alchemical transformations that our awareness of reality can create. We again conjecture that there are three stable states to human consciousness. The first is the complete acceptance of an artificiality grounded in social and psychological reality. We agree that more perfect social and psychological reality is possible, but that the current reality is imbalanced in specific ways. The second is a state of mystery, where awe and inspiration overcome all of the senses. In this second state that is a letting go of mental models. The third state is characterized by transparency over the structure of any system that one turns one's perception toward. Magical interactions are then possible.
We model the systems of our current social and psychological reality. Does mathematics help us in this effort? The answer is interesting and useful, since any objective perception about social and psychological mathematics shows deep deficits. The tools of classical mathematics, including probability but not including statistics, appear to be inadequate. The reasons for this inadequacy can be demonstrated.
One cannot enter mystery with classical mathematics or an examination of the limitations of classical mathematics easily. It can be done, but only by losing touch with social and psychological reality. One can enter a realm of pure thought and the symmetries of abstraction. This will lift oneself into mystery and if the target of intension is one of the more “simple” physical systems, one can affect a magical control over these systems.
We are talking about the more complex systems, the social and psychological systems. Here the classical mathematics cannot help us enter into mystery. Using these tools, we have no hope of magical transparency. The trap of empire building never challenges us. We are left only with mediations and inspirations having a foundation in concepts not fully independent of our personal intention. The symbols for these concepts are only poorly communicated from one person to another.
The lifting of symbols from experience met a bifurcation, leading to pure rational thought and coherent formalism or to the mystery state. In the mystery state one knows the inadequacy of the symbol system to communicate about social and psychological reality. In the mystery state one gains insight and fails back into the artificiality, or not. In failing back, one gains a power to create empire, to demonstrate to others that empire can be build around one's leadership. The artificiality requires that this leadership be consistent with the current realities. Magical knowledge is not allowed.
Many of us have been pulled into the cycle, entering mystery and moving into pure abstract thought or pure creativity. Then we fail back into the current social and psychological realities. Some of us move into empire building and we produce a new system that supports and is supported by the current social and psychological reality. Some of us remain in the mystery state and in this state we become isolated by the current social and psychological reality. We have only now begin to understand that a second transformation is required, a transformation into the magical state of transparency. In this magical state one can see the transactions that are occurring between any system or system of systems that one turns one's awareness to. To exercise control over any of these systems requires one's movement towards the route to empire.
The use of technology has been a route to empire. Technology use has been allowed to remove the individual for responsibility and to eliminate the need for human touch. The academic discipline of artificial intelligence is a good example of efforts to establish empire by replacing the human with a computer program. This failure to create a replacement is not perceived by the social and psychological realities. The concept of artificial intelligence is completely consistent with the current artificiality.
One may enter mystery through a contemplation of the nature of self. In this nature we may become over come by awe and inspiration. Staying in mystery separates oneself from the current social and psychological realities. One comes into contract with what might be properly called higher awareness. At one point we move into the magical realm of transparency.
As we move into the clarity of transparency the trap of empire building tempts us. It is a comfortable trap, complete with economic rewards and ego re-enforcement. We sense the imbalances and respond by holding back intentionally. The response may be instantiations as we open up our seeing ability and move through the alchemical transform from mystery to magic.
On entering the magical realm we see the gap between the social psychological worlds and the natural order of systems in balance. We are both the cosmic “I” and a group of magicians. As a group we become aware of a new possibility. The possibility of creating an entirely new system is a possibility that is a true alternative to the existing empire sustaining systems.
The Ontological referential base (Orb) is a loosely bound formalism that captures raw relationship in the form of symbols composed of nested systems of symbols and expressed within situated context. As such, the Orbs share features of natural language such as purposeful ambiguation. The elements of mystery are available, as well as the magical qualities of transparency experienced within a moment of individual human awareness.
The Orb notation happens to also have properties related to the current information technology and to the non-transparency provided by artificial intelligence and other artificialities of the current social and psychological realities. These properties are openly discussed and the simplicity of the conceptual organization of Orb technology is made freely available to anyone wishing to participate. An appreciative social field is created and lines of influence and control set aside.
The methodology starts with a descriptive enumeration of the elements of discourse from the viewpoint of more than a few participates in a specific social or psychological system. Stakeholders provide this descriptive enumeration as a set of words or word phrases. A diversity of viewpoint is required and it is asserted that logical coherence is to be set aside. A measurement of viewpoint is considered to be of higher value then logical coherence to a single set of principles.
Harmonies
involving more then one system requires a magical knowledge of the
nature of
systems. Coherence is seen to be
a property of a single system, and not a property of a system of
systems. It is noted
that a C tuning fork does not make a D tuning fork
ring and that logical coherence is a property of empire building. Coherence is seen to be a magical property
of single systems.
The sets of words are placed on index cards, one phase or word per card. These descriptive elements are then gathered by a mediator into a single stack, and various subsets of the set of descriptive elements is brought forward as proposed frameworks for an extended discussion about the specific social or psychological system. Each framework can be realized as the basis for a logical coherence regarding some specific part of the system of systems under discussion. We demonstrate that empire building can be merged into a magical collective coherence. From these magical coherences may come the models of transformation that everyone is seeking.
The stack of descriptive elements is always considered to be open to an addition of new descriptive elements under the rule that anyone can add an element at any time. The stack is also open to the removal of elements under the rule that all stakeholders may express a vote regarding a proposed removal. The sufficiency of the symbol set is critical, and the moderator continually seeks an agreement about this sufficiency. It is as if a game is being played with the individual symbols being the game pieces. As new viewpoints arise, the game pieces are allowed to change freely.
A symbol set is shared in the conveyance of transparency about the system to be modeled. The process can be extended over time and the symbol set re-used. A collaborative environment is established, perhaps facilitated by face-to-face meetings and Internet based collaborations.
The moderator creates choice points for consideration by the group. These choice points may have multiple outcomes that are differential depending on the vote of the group. Internet based services can be well specified using the descriptive elements as “controlling vocabularies”. Using tools designed to form appreciative social fields, the moderator facilitates magical transformations. The group enters into a mysterious agreement where multiple viewpoints are empowered. When a new social appreciation is formed, the field is allowed to collapse. The collapse forms into localized coherences and decision points.
In the absence of global coherence one may perceive the coherences of each system. One can see these systems of systems only in the moment and only if the mystery of self has placed oneself into a spiritual state. These states of mystery cannot be fully shared. The consequences of being in awe of the mystery can however lead to collective magical transparency over the systems of systems under intentional observation.
The descriptive elements form the basis for ontological modeling of the specific social or psychological system. Mystery leads to the formation and collapse of coherence. The symbol set acquires and loses an assignment of meaning. These assignments are easily recorded into an ontological model.
The ontological model is then used to instrument the formation of choice points. The group is then called on to make decisions. As part of the process methodology, the cycle is assumed to involve human awareness and decision-making. Without conscious intentional effort, it is assumed that there is a collapse back into artificiality.
The ontological model is then used to instrument the formation of choice points. The group is iteratively called on to make decisions. The cycle must involve human awareness and decision making or else there is a collapse back into artificiality. Ontological modeling of this type must not have a theory of coherence and must be open to formative processes involving human awareness.
So where did magical transparency go? Magical transparency dissipates when mystery is no long being tapped. Mystery produces creative insight into the nature of the spiritual world. The control of systems of systems is lost. The paradox is noticed.
It is suggested that the experience of spiritual reality is unique to the individual. It is suggested that the full expression of mystery cannot be communicated perfectly from one person to another. We suggest this, because we cannot be sure of anything related to the mysterious states. These states seem beyond human ability for thought or emotion to express. We are only able to express externally the awe we as individuals experience from states of mystery. In these states of mystery, that which cannot be expressed becomes more important than that which can be expressed.
We suggest that the individual has the potential for transparency into the spiritual state. The experience of mystery creates formative fields of energy. Private personal love is one of the fields that are produced from the experience of mystery. The experience of mystery draws others into individual experiences of mystery, but the experience of mystery is unique.
In the collective generation of choice points we allow the formation of appreciative social fields. So we move from the individual to the group. The private self is separated from the collective self in a fashion that cannot be made subject to magical transparency. The experience of mystery is unique and transformational. The consequences of collective experience, however, may open doors to magical transformations of external system of systems. The transformation of self remains mystical and mysterious. Referential symbols allow a type of surface communication about the formative field. The transformation to magical transparency bring the group into a new appreciation of how to balance the systems of systems that the group intents to control. The ontological technology empowers the group.
In Summary: The alternative to artificial intelligence is a moderation of collective intelligence where the control of systems is based on a collective modeling of the systems. A route to empire building occurs when the iterative formation of appreciative social field stops and artificiality of formal structures assumes control. A by-pass develops by entering the state of mystery. This by-pass may be facilitated by ontological technology.