Toward a steady-state ideology (moral, evolution, creation, moral, science)

[coberst]

Toward a steady-state ideology

Cybernetics—study of automatic control systems.

There are negative feedback control systems such as a furnace/thermostat or our own bodies. There are positive feedback control systems such as an ordinary fire or our capitalistic economic system.

In a fire the higher the temperature the faster the fuel is burned; the faster the fuel burns the higher goes the temperature. In a business enterprise it is common practice to put a percentage of profit into advertising. More advertising creates greater sales, which mean higher profit.

A negative feedback system seeks out equilibrium; a positive feedback system has no equilibrium and is ever accelerating.

If we have a positive feedback system, such as capitalism being now abetted by Globalism, we face the horrendous situation that the greater the progress the faster the spiral of destruction when considering that the world and humans are negative feedback systems.

If we choose to continue with our present Global/capitalistic program we must find a way to dampen the positive feedback system.

Biologists, and probably other sciences, inform us that human conceit, i.e. human ego, distorts our ability to comprehend our self. Egocentricities motivate us into irrational behavior thereby imperiling our survival; the human animal is arrogant and dangerous. Mark Twain was told that “man is the noblest work of God” to which he replied “Now, who found that out?”

Bernard James, author of “The Death of Progress” argues that perhaps a new moral order might be the solution to acquiring the means to avoid self-extinction. He argues that creation is a function of life. It is inventive acts that govern the evolution and survival requirements of human and ecosystems.

I suggest that we must find a new formula for the encouragement of creativity directed at this monumental problem. This is a problem that demands quick action and it seems to me that we cannot wait several generations for this to be accomplished. Today’s adults must recognize the problem and must energetically seek a solution. I think that an invigorated self-actualization through self-learning by adults is required. I am not talking about more schooling. Schooling has left us learning-handicapped. This effort must be self-learning. Adults must begin a concentrated effort toward developing an intellectual life far beyond that which now exists.


Maslow learned to distinguish “special talent creativeness” from “self-actualizing (SA) creativeness”, which springs more directly from the personality, and showed itself in the ordinary affairs of daily life. This is all potentiality given to most people at birth and is generally lost or buried or inhibited, as the person becomes more acculturated. These self-actualizing humans “do not neglect the unknown, or deny it, or run away from it or try to make-believe it is really known…They do not cling to the familiar, nor is their quest for the truth a catastrophic need for certainty, safety, definiteness, and order.”

The creativity of self-actualizing individuals is a derivative of their “greater wholeness and integration”. SA creativeness will stress first the personality, individuality, character and attitude rather than accomplishments. Character traits, i.e. the habits of behavior such as boldness, courage, freedom, spontaneity, perspicuity, integration, and self-acceptance all expresses itself in the creative life. “It is emitted like sunshine.”

I think that the new cultural paradigm must be ‘self-actualizing self-learning’ in order to focus the creativity of the many upon solving our problems. What do you think?

[Kungfuzed]

Pardon my ignorance, but how is Globalism a negative feedback system and why does Capitalism need to be dampened? Isn't Globalism making products cheaper and giving job opportunities to poorer countries? From the US perspective it might be equalizing things but from the poor countrie's perspective it's a raging fire of income. What's negative to one country is positive to another. I don't see how Globalism and Captialism are working against each other, unless you're only talking about outsourcing of US jobs. What is the spiral of destruction you're talking about? Intellectual destruction? I agree we all need to learn more and stay competitive. To me education is a positive feedback system.

[coberst]

It appears to me that basicly capitalism is a system wherein you grow or die. It is not a system seeking equilibrium. The more a company sells the more it must try to sell more. Globalism makes the market much larger and makes capital more independent of state regulation and labor independent. Capitalism in a Global market becomes less regulated and thus a bigger positive feedback system with no dampening.

[Pardus]

Negative Income Tax where the threshold is the average income.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_income_tax
My own little idea for dealing with the faults of capitalism.