David -
The pleasure is mutual.
Is is a pleasure to do discourse with you.
This is the sense which I prefer and acknowledge the pragmatic limits implied by "that which I can actually sense/interact with." I would like to learn more about your Vedic (cum Buddhist?) groundings in the philosophical (often shrouded in political) discussions here. Or maybe it just helps that you have made them explicit (or I have finally heard your explication of them).Minor clarification: When I mention "sentient life" I do indeed include all life. In fact, given that I take as a working assumption the Vedic (and then Buddhist) notion that the entire universe, all the way down to quanta is an admixture of purusa (mind) and prakrti (matter) so even a 'string' is sentient. Pragmatically, I focus on multi-cellular lifeforms that I can actually sense / interact with.
It seems to come with our language functions to be both willful and ignorant. Animals which we presume to have no significant language ability, have a very different quality of each "will" and "ignorance" and I don't think "willful ignorance" really makes sense for them except to the extent that we humans project that onto them. My dogs can seem to exhibit willful ignorance, but I think something less complicated is going on. They can definitely be willful, and they do something which is like feigning ignorance (e.g. pretending not to hear me until I rattle the milk-bone box, breaking that illusion)."Willful ignorance" — I would indeed assert that most people are willfully ignorant most of the time, that the vast majority live lives that are "unexamined" ala Plato. This is the reason that I am very, very, wary of "pure democracy."
I'm a fan of Alexander, mildly for his architectural/urbanist work, almost not at all for his influence of SW and "design patterns", but hugely for the abstract underpinnings of form and function.Christopher Alexander spoke at OOPSLA a decade ago — an architect talking to software professionals. He noted that professional architects influence roughly 10% of the built world, but software folk will influence 100 percent, and not just the physical "built" world, but every aspect of life, redefining work, play. culture ....
Much of my work over the decades has been roughly in the realm of "user interface"... not exactly or always directly involving building UI's, but rather centered on the problem of how to help humans be more effective/efficient through the leverage/mediation of computers. The culture of "willful ignorance" in systems analysts, software engineers, coders, etc. is extreme. And I believe it inherits from the techno-utopian/techno-cratic mindset of Scientists, Engineers, and Technologists in general. Present (collective) company included. Pogo and Scott Adams both seemed to have our number from early on: "We have met the enemy and they is us!""With great power comes great responsibility." Alas the software folks have refused to accept the responsibility that goes hand in hand with the power they have. And this is a case of dramatic "willful ignorance" on the part of the software community, but also those engaged in city and social planning efforts. Everything they do affects people — individually, collectively, socio-politically, and culturally — and yet they are "willfully ignorant" of people.
Thanks, I'll take a look. I knew through Jenny that you had been (presenting?) at a conference on patterns last year, but hadn't bothered to follow up. From the Abstract, I think I'll find plenty of meat to chew on and try to respond responsibly to it.The attached paper was presented at PURPLSOC (software, city planning, social change agents) in Austria last fall. It became the featured paper of the conference and proceedings. I think you might find it interesting, and, hopefully, find some seeds for further discussion of how a social construct might evolve from the kind of individualism we both seem to resonate to.
[The professor at Macalester College that inspired my interest in utopian/designed communities was Hildegarde B. Johnson. Just remembered her full name.]
Just looked her up... fascinating story of maintaining/promoting Geography in the Liberal Arts.
-sas
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