FORMULATION of VALUES 2_16_57 various quotes - with BJS comments

BARRY: What is the proposed “world view” that is at the heart of the Putnam model? How will we ‘be’ or exist or act in the world once we understand the brain model the way we understand how the heart works, or how the physical details of current science work? With this knowledge will we act differently than we act now?

Every thousand years or so someone comes along and integrates the known science with the known religion (ethics, morals, doctrine). Think Augustine and Aquinas. Putnam’s model is a science/religious model in it’s broadest sense. Is it excessive? largely untrue? or is Putnam on to something of use and value?

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From - Formulation of Values Putnam’s first paper - 2/16/1957

Chapter 1. THE ELEMENTS IN RELATION TO ACTIVITY

There is no cosmical world in the depth of consciousness waiting to come into expression. Consciousness reflects the complex interactions of existing stabilized responses alone. Introspection is but an illusion in the creative sense and not a guide to anything but repetition. pg 3-4

What is creative are the mechanical conflicts in the determination of the act. pg 4

BJS: These are “mechanical” conflicts - their resolution is subject to probability. That’s God’s will.

Chapter 2. THE INSTITUTIONAL ELEMENTS AND VALUES - describes Malinowski pg 5

What are the bases of institutional elements into which is analyzed the communal life?

There is no ‘why’ to life, nor any verbal substitute for animal will. pg 6

The idealist is born to despair because he has divorced his values from power - from the concrete conditions of interaction.

However, by the introduction of the word, conditions of interaction become symbolized - therefore there is no need to physical conflict when insight is clear enough: when we understand how the brain works. It is a long, hard struggle, but we begin to use words when insight into the machinery of our being is clear enough. pg 7

This view, intensely cosmopolitan, accepts everything in nature. But it is not as passive as it seems.

Chapter 3. THE FUNCTIONING OF VERBAL VALUES pg 10

We are interested in the de facto description of the functioning of verbal values.

Verbal values function only in conflict situations where several alternative mechanical responses are available and where there is no steady dominance of one over another.

That is, where there is a conflict in conflicting neuronal paths. The verbal form in such situations does determine the act when adequately elaborated. The model provides a basis to adequately elaborate.

BJS: This is good news as we try to resolve conflicts in conflicting vocabularies. Understanding how the brain works, that is, understanding the machinery of the decision process, puts both sides of a conflict at least on the same playing field.

And “emotions” are not the barrier they seem to be, to false doctrines. It is the coordination doctrine itself is the barrier, not man’s nature.

BJS: What is the coordination doctrine?

The response value of the community is the one needed for the successful coordination of the community to succeed in its particular task.

The particular task of the community is the task that leads to success.

The evolution of ‘carriers of response value’ reflects the evolution of the techniques forming the foundation of the society - the level of causal insight - the science level.