In other words, there is some sense in which the notion of Self-serving Action is incoherent.
Nicholas Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology
Clark University
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/
From: [hidden email] <[hidden email]>
Sent: Friday, July 3, 2020 1:07 PM
To: 'The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group' <[hidden email]>
Subject: detritus from vFRIAM
I tried to post this on the vFRIAM chat, but wouldn’t “take”, so I am posting it here:
“Don't do this now, but …. as a favor to me, could you-guys devote some of your shaving time this week to the proposition: "No system ever acts on its own behalf." My intuition is that whenever we investigate a system that appears to act in its own behalf, we will find that it is pursuing a goal that is short of the interest of the whole, but which will produce benefits to the whole because of some property of the world in which it acts. I would love to hear a discussion among people trying to design a system that acts on its own behalf. Can someone come up with a simple example of such a system.”
I grant you that the question is not clear.
Thanks,
Nick
Nicholas Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology
Clark University
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/
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