Re: ABMs and Psychology

Posted by Steve Smith on
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Re-comm-was-Re-FW-Re-Emergence-Seminar-BritishEmergence-tp3654051p3695663.html

Marcus G. Daniels wrote:

> Steve Smith wrote:
>> I'm enough of a "wishful thinker" to not discount possible
>> extra-causal connections, but I also believe that such phenomena as
>> our own coveted "emergence" and the ever-popular "parallel evolution"
>> (which are based in causality) explain *most* and could explain *all*
>> of the phenomena described by Synchronicity and *not* dismissable
>> simply as Confirmation Bias
>> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias>.
> Did Pauli mean parallel evolution (grouping by meaning, where meaning
> is not subjective)
Parallel Evolution was *my* example... sorry to be ambiguous.   And I
mean the phenomena of "solutions" evolving with similar structure when
faced with the same "problem"... such as fins on fish and flippers on
water-mammals, or the multiple times that eyes (lensed photosensitive
tissue directly connected to the neural system) have evolved  
independently.  What they have in common is the underlying building
blocks, the problem to solve (i.e. swimming or seeing) and similar
constraints (i.e. viscosity of water, strength of muscle and bone,
frequency spectra available, etc.)
> or did he actually buy into the idea of the collective unconscious
> influencing how things unfold in nature?
You mean Morphogenesis and Morphic Resonance ala Rupert Sheldrake?  I
don't believe so... though that is another motley crue I am fascinated
by.   It may be morbid fascination, but fascination nonetheless.   They
naturally draw the interest of the Mystics as well.  

My interest in all of this is to find a middle way... not dismissing it
completely out of hand, yet not swallowing it hook, line and sinker.  
I'm not sure how much middle ground that leaves... but it is still of
interest to me.

Even after reading a lot of their correspondence, I'm not clear on why
Pauli was not more critical of the general area.  He was clearly
interested/fascinated and seemed to hold his balance in this same middle
ground that I seek.

- Steve

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