Essay Abstract

The essay presents the author's view on a process for leading humanity. It discusses: How we learn; Innate knowledge; Emotions; Innate meanings; Human free will; and, Good leadership.

Author Bio

Author & owner of newphysicstheory.com: Peer reviewed paper #133 for ICCS 2011 The Nature of Thermodynamic Entropy; Invited speaker for COFE 2012 Calculating the Universal Gravitational Constant; COFE 2013 Origins of Force and Acceleration; Essay entries in each of the five previous contests.

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The question is How should Humanity steer the future? You have given us a lesson on'how', through leadership and connection with innate knowledge that we 'feel', but no indication of destination or navigation.You wrote "Followers follow along because they are feeling along. Stir their emotions with words of caring and unity for both social and scientific goals. Care and unity are emotionally satisfying." That sounds like sage advice. I can hear the people saying "yes we are following , where are we going O leader?" That is to say I half wanted you to continue with where that manifesto might take us. What are the social and scientific goals you have in mind, or is it straight ahead business as usual? Best wishes, Georgina

    Georgina,

    I eliminated them. That is why my essay is five pages long. I reduced it from what began as 11 pages. I left only the beginning foundational part to the answer to the question: How should humanity steer the future? One answer might have been to not set up steering committees. I wrote a disapproving paragraph about where I think that practice leads us. I dumped it. It wasn't really a helpful part of the point I decided to make.

    If it is taken to be the case that the question relates to conditions of a free people, then our system allows for the people to steer themselves. I am not speaking about an ideal society where all matters are resolved perfectly. I am thinking in terms of real humanity and the struggle to try for balance among many competing needs.

    However, steering was a given in the question. So hypothetically, if it is a given that humanity should be steered, then the best I could hope for is that leaders would have both good intentions and more importantly good ideas. I presented my case for how we might improve on our existing good ideas. I think my argument for innate knowledge is both socially and scientifically important. Its foundational on both points for me.

    Specific examples of my ideas would have distracted attention away from the main objective of this essay. I expected that I might find myself primarily defending those ideas. I like and stand by the ideas I presented in my other essays. For this essay, I prefer defending the case for the source of knowledge and our process for learning it.

    I did not give concrete examples for two other reasons. One is that many others will write about their good ideas that are their conclusions. I think it is important to know the process for how we reach our conclusions. The second reason is that I have already offered, in five previous essays and five years of discussions, my good ideas. I had a different good idea for this contest. That idea was to explain the source of our knowledge and how we might access it better.

    It is a view that I think is in contrast to what I think is the prevailing, perhaps a better word might be respected, view. The view I presented is, in my opinion, the most concrete and important point to be made to those who would steer. As for destination and navigation, I already covered those.

    Each essay I write is designed to minimize repeating myself. I wrote about a subject that I consider to be very much to the point of the question. My opinion is that it is foundational. Thank you for sharing your opinion. I assume that we both know that we have adopted different views about many of the subjects raised here.

    In particular, I think that you don't agree with the view I presented in the essay for beginning the case for how we learn. If that is so, then I understand why you think that I didn't answer the question. Good luck with your own essay. I don't see one yet. I am assuming that you will have submitted one.

    James Putnam

    James,

    thanks for your reply. I wasn't implying that you hadn't answered the question because you have.In your own way, and all of the essays are unique. That what I meant by my first sentence. I think there is some ambiguity or openness in the question because it could be read as 'How?' as in how is steering to be accomplished or 'How?' as in which way / direction. I've gone more for which direction/s. Very different from my previous ones. Hopefully it is both entertaining and informative.

    Georgina

    Hi James,

    How much different would your essay have been if you had framed it with your last words:

    "Care and unity are emotionally satisfying."

    Rather than your first:

    "We know a lot of knowledge, but yearn for more."?

    All best wishes in the competition!

    Tom

      Tom,

      I wouldn't start with care and unity because that would miss presenting their natural foundation. My essay is technical. All of its important points are raised before I encourage the use of caring and unity. The focus was kept on the foundational development of ideas including caring and unity. Examples appeared as part of presenting the development process. This wasn't an essay about presenting my ideas about caring and unity. I have already done that.

      The purpose of the essay was to present the process of learning; and, the importance for those who would lead others to understand it. It was kept general so that reader's might keep their focus on the process that was being presented. Apparently you would have preferred reading about my personal conclusions so that you might correct them. We have already been through that. We don't agree.

      I don't agree with your physics. I argue that it contains both errors and inventions. My basis for saying this here and now is to point out that your foundational ideas about physics lack unity right from the start. My ideas include unity right from the start. This essay wasn't intended for the purpose of repeating ourselves. I was presenting something else. I was presenting something that I expect you strongly disagree with. If so then we disagree again. I strongly agree with it.

      James Putnam

      James, I don't have any preference for what you should write. I merely imply that if knowledge is innate, as you claim, it is unified, and therefore it would be irrational to wish for more. So the foundation of that unified knowledge would be caring and unity at the beginning and the end, would it not?

        Tom,

        (I merely imply that if knowledge is innate, as you claim, it is unified, ...)

        That is not known. Innate means we were born with it. That is all it means. What the innate standards for caring and unity are have to be discovered. In the case of caring, I gave an example of how easily the innate meaning of that can be learned. It comes to our conscious mind with an emotional response that distinguishes it. With regard to unity, the matter is not so clear.

        While I think that the innate meaning of unity includes recognizing that there is a single cause for all effects, I can't induce others to share that feeling. Multiple causes seem to be a good idea to many people. All of the results that I have presented in the past about physics problems are achieved from just one cause. The results and the idea of a single cause for physics, right from the start of its fundamentals, languish. Yet, the need to seek unity is prevalent.

        The idea of unity is innate. But, I see efforts directed at adding unity onto physics as an afterthought. Sort of a theoretical ending for physics theory. I see that effort as faulty, but my point really has to do with the shared need to seek unity.

        (...and therefore it would be irrational to wish for more.)

        Makes no sense to me. The awareness of some knowledge is hardly emotionally satisfying.

        (So the foundation of that unified knowledge would be caring and unity at the beginning and the end, would it not?)

        There is no basis for a beginning and ending for knowledge. Knowledge exists in its entirety. Our learning process is one of discovering its existence. Different paths can be followed during that process. However, knowledge precedes the learning process. If that weren't the case, the process couldn't occur. All the signing among all of humanity is only directing us toward the discovery of and use of innate knowledge.

        James Putnam

        I wrote that theoretical physics lacks unity. The efforts to add on unity as if it were an afterthought require first adding invented properties who's role is to appear to progress toward unity. Those invented properties are empirically unverifiable. They exist only for the reason of making up for earlier errors. It is those earlier errors that introduce disunity into a science that should display the constant presence of unity through the development of its equations.

        For those who have never read my writings, the first error of theoretical physics was the decision to make mass an indefinable property. Mass is represented in physics equation by the units of kilograms. Kilograms is an indefinable unit of measurement. An indefinable property is one that is not defined in terms of pre-existing properties. Indefinable units are units that are not defined in terms of pre-existing units.

        The arbitrary choice to make mass an indefinable property cost theoretical physics fundamental unity beginning right at its treatment of f=ma. Mass should have been and could have been a defined property. That simple act would have demonstrated the existence of and retained fundamental unity right from the beginning of physics equations. If physicists had begun their work with unity as a primary goal, they could have learned that mass should be a defined property.

        The indefinable status of mass infects all physics theory that follows with disunity. The two remaining obstacles to re-establishing fundamental unity are the need to make temperature a defined property and the need to remove the circular definition of electric charge. Making those corrections are what I write about and do. While my ideas are not the actual subject of this essay, they do represent my efforts to apply the learning process described in the essay to myself.

        James Putnam

        Dear James,

        I read your essay with great interest . You write in the spirit of Descartes, his «methodical doubt», «clearly and distinctly». On the basis of your three conclusions can be constructed, justify and draw a new model of the Holistic Universe, full of meaning and laws - "the Self-Aware Universe ", where the central category - cosmic or ontological memory and our consciousness as the sense attractor:

        1.«We must discern patterns in data that varies very quickly. The data is never exactly known because it is constantly undergoing changes. There is no opportunity to study a fixed arrangement for patterns. We must look for patterns as the photons fly at us.We must already know what patterns are before we can look for them. We are born with the ability to analyze photon data. We successfully identify patterns. We do it instinctively. It is evidence that our understanding of what patterns are is innate. We are born with that knowledge. We instinctively find patterns in the photon storm. This instinctive behavior is evidence of the existence of innate knowledge.»

        2 . «Innate means we were born with it. Instinct means we were born with it. The meanings are innate. The process of assigning meanings is instinctive. The concept of innate knowledge may seem uncomfortable for one trained to believe in a mechanical interpretation of the universe. However, which is more comfortable to say about our response to observing the universe?

        First, the universe exerted forces on us and parts of us changed their velocities. Or second, the universe communicated with us and we understood its meaning. The second description reflects our reality. The universe communicates with us and we communicate with it. We pick out patterns and attach meanings to them until we subconsciously form an image and to present the image to our conscious mind as a conclusion. We remember our conclusions. »

        3. «Continuity is also an innate idea. No living creature has ever seen a continuous line. The concepts of a line or of continuity in general are ideas that come from innate knowledge. Another example is changelessness. We have never received data about the existence of 'no change'. The outside world data is always only about change. The idea of 'no-change' is innate.

        We control what is innate. »...

        «The truth should be drawn and should be presented to" an unlimited circle "of spectators.» (Alexander Zenkin in the Science counterrevolution in mathematics). A quote from his article in Russian ...

        We do not see the world in detail-

        Insignificant all and fractional.

        Takes me sadness from all this ...

        Vvedensky Alexander (1930)

        And how to steer the Future fragmented World?

        I wish you good luck!

        All the Best,

        Vladimir

          Quoting a translation of a writing of Blaise Pascal,

          "Scientific learning is composed of two opposites which nonetheless meet each other. The first is the natural ignorance that is man's lot at birth. The second is represented by those great minds that have investigated all knowledge accumulated by man only to discover at the end that in fact they know nothing. Thus they return to the same fundamental ignorance they had thought to leave. Yet this ignorance they have now discovered is an intellectual achievement. It is those who have departed from their original condition of ignorance but have been incapable of completing the full cycle of learning who offer us a smattering of scientific knowledge and pass sweeping judgments. These are the mischief makers, the false prophets."

          I have not completed the full cycle of learning. I have accomplished a fraction of it. Yet Pascal's meaning rings true. I think though that we can know about natural ignorance without completing the full cycle of learning. One example is that we observe only effects. We never observe cause. We know only some things that cause does. The point is that we can know from the start of scientific learning that we do not know what cause is. That is a natural ignorance that is made clear by empirical evidence. Empirical evidence is always about effects and only about effects.

          In the case of theoretical physics, its empirical evidence consists always and only about patterns in changes of velocities of objects. Any claim to knowing a cause is false. Such claims occur readily in theoretical physics, but there is no basis to support such claims. Empirical evidence tells us about that which we can know. It tells us only what cause does and not what cause is. The natural limit of physics knowledge is defined by the limits of its empirical evidence.

          Its empirical evidence is limited to measures of changes of distance during changes of time. The limit is clearly represented by the units of empirical evidence. Empirical evidence for physics has units consisting of combinations of meters and seconds only. All physics equations that include invented units that are not definable in terms of meters and seconds are unnatural interpretations. They present mathematical statements that contain a smattering of scientific knowledge and make sweeping judgments. Those equations mislead and obstruct scientific learning.

          James Putnam

            Vladimir Rogozhin,

            Thank you for this rare show of interest that demonstrates you have understood my essay. It is an honor to be mentioned together with Descartes by someone of your credentials.

            "You write in the spirit of Descartes, his «methodical doubt», «clearly and distinctly». On the basis of your three conclusions can be constructed, justify and draw a new model of the Holistic Universe, full of meaning and laws - "the Self-Aware Universe ", where the central category - cosmic or ontological memory and our consciousness as the sense attractor: ..."

            I will follow through on the leads you provided for reading. I look forward to reading your essay. I have begun to add messages explaining more of what I think. I do not presume that you will agree with all that I write. I am adding the writings because I see the usual disapproving responses recurring. It is not the spirit of disapproval that I see as a problem. It is the recurring messages that fail to give recognition to any results that I present in the essays. Rather the disapproving messages address issues of little relevance to what I wrote or results I presented. This being my sixth essay contest, I have decided to challenge the usual disapproving messages and usual low votes by Piling-on conclusions and ideas.

            I wish you success in the contest.

            James Putnam

            Dear James,

            Each contest FQXi - a contest for new ideas. In your essay, I saw these new ideas to address global problems, a more successful future for Humanity. Your ideas are close to me. I highly appreciate them.

            I also wish you success in the contest.

            Sincerely,

            Vladimir

            Here I agree with you completely. Empiricism came to its limits. But we must look at the first structure of the world (hyperstructure), which generates the diversity of the world and includes all of the ultimate meaning of the Universe, all limit the meaning of "LifeWorld" (E.Husserl). Understand means «seize the structure» ( G.Gutner

            ">Ontology mathematical discourse](https://teneta.rinet.ru/rus/ge/gutner_ontology_of_mathematic.htm

            ))

            Dear Mr. Putnam,

            I thought that your abstraction filled essay was extremely well organized and written quite expertly. I do hope that it does well in the competition.

            In the comment published beneath the essay, you wrote: "Theoretical physics lacks unity." Please allow me to step into the breach and supply a bit of real unity.

            INERT LIGHT THEORY

            Based only on my observation, I have concluded that all of the stars, all of the planets, all of the asteroids, all of the comets, all of the meteors, all of the specks of astral dust and all real things have one and only one thing in common. Each real thing has a material surface and an attached material sub-surface. A surface can be interior or exterior. All material surfaces must travel at the constant "speed" of light. All material sub-surfaces must travel at an inconsistent "speed" that is less than the "speed" of light. While a surface can travel in any direction, a sub-surface can only travel either inwardly or outwardly. A sub-surface can expand or contract.. As a surface can only travel at the constant "speed" of light, and that speed cannot be exceeded, a surface cannot peel away from a sub-surface. As a sub-surface is attached to a surface by a random fluctuating energy field, a sub-surface cannot reduce its inconsistent speed to the point where it becomes inertial. It would be physically impossible for light to move as it does not have a surface or a sub-surface. Abstract theory cannot ever have unification. Only reality is unified because there is only one reality.

            I use the term "speed" of light merely to make it easier for the reader to understand my theory. Actually light cannot move because it does not have a surface. Light is the only stationary substance in the real Universe. The proof of this is easy to establish. When one looks at an active electrical light, one must notice that all of the light remains inside of the bulb. What does move from the bulb is some form of radiant. The radiant must move at a rate of speed that is less than the "speed" of light, however, when the radiant strikes a surface it achieves the "speed" of light because all surfaces can only travel at the "speed" of light. When it strikes a surface, the radiant resumes being a light, albeit of a lesser magnitude. While it is true that searchlights, spotlights and car headlights seem to cast a beam of light, this might be because the beams strike naturally formed sub-atomic particles prevalent in the atmosphere that collectively, actually form a surface.

            In the Thomas Young Double Slit Experiment, it was not direct sunlight that passed through the slits. Light from the sun is stationary and it cannot move because light does not have a surface. Radiants emitted from the sun went through the slits and behaved like wave radiants.

            Einstein was completely wrong. His abstract theory about how abstract observers "see" abstract events differently is wrong. This is what every real observer sees when they look at a real light. They see that all of the light remains near the source. The reason for that is because light does not have a surface, therefore it cannot move. This happens to real observers whether they are looking at real fabricated lights such as neon, incandescent or LED. This also happens when real observers observe real natural light such as from the real sun or reflected from the real moon, or from a real lightning bolt, or from a real fire, a real candle, or light from out of a real lightning bug's bottom.

            No need to thank me, I was happy to be of service,

            Joe Fisher

              What do you think causes people to not make the effort to "vigorously pursue" changes in their beliefs?

              It sounds like you're defining "free will" as the ability (or maybe successful accomplishment) of changing one's beliefs (i.e. learning something new/different). Is that correct? And if so, how do you think that matches up to other individual's definitions of the idea of free will?

                Turil Sweden Cronburg,

                "What do you think causes people to not make the effort to "vigorously pursue" changes in their beliefs?"

                They are emotionally satisfied with their conclusions.

                "It sounds like you're defining "free will" as the ability (or maybe successful accomplishment) of changing one's beliefs (i.e. learning something new/different). Is that correct? And if so, how do you think that matches up to other individual's definitions of the idea of free will?"

                The intent of the essay was to address what we can know about learning from examining the empirical evidence for learning. I define free will as the ability to decide meanings for the photon data. I don't describe a circumstance where one does not exercise free will. One is free to accept their conclusions or to decide to induce the subconscious to try again and maybe reach a more satisfying conclusion. My point regarding giving the impression that we either do not exercise free will or that we do exercise free will is that it is only an impression. I was addressing the reason for why some persons might argue that we do not have free will. The reason is based upon an impression and not the absence of free will. We always exercise free will. Some just do far more with it than do others.

                James Putnam

                The unknown thermodynamic entropy:

                Temperature is an unexplained property because theorists chose to declare it to be a fundamental indefinable property. Another property that depends directly on temperature for its own definition is thermodynamic entropy. Thermodynamic entropy, as originally defined by Clausius, is to this day an unexplained property. It cannot be explained because temperature is unexplained.

                In order for a property to be explained it must be defined. In two cases, theorists did not know how to proceed with their theory. One case involves the all important fundamental property of mass. Mass is undefined and unexplained. The second unexplained property, by theorists' choice, is temperature. There are efforts to put forward explanations of thermodynamic entropy. Those efforts are pretend explanations. None of them fit the definition of thermodynamic entropy. Every one falls short of explaining thermodynamic entropy because they are not the same thing.

                Introductions purporting to explain Clausius' definition skip passed it in favor of moving directly to the substitute explanations. Theoretical physicists can explain the substitutes because they are not definitions of thermodynamic entropy. Theoretical physicists made this problem. I have found none that will admit it. There is though a way out. Define mass and that leads to defining temperature. Define temperature and it becomes immediately understood what Clausius' thermodynamic entropy is. That is what I have written about and accomplished.

                James Putnam

                So what do these extra comments critical of theoretical physics have to do with my essay and this contest?? The point is that theoretical physics, due to its invented and undefined properties, is not a source of innate knowledge.

                It has its source of knowledge in its empirical evidence. It doesn't follow that which its empirical evidence makes known to it. It has instead chosen to invent much of what it presents to us.

                James Putnam

                Hi Joe,

                Thank you for evaluating my essay. I appreciate your good intentions in presenting your theory. However, our ideas of what constitutes fundamental unity are very different. Mine isn't accepted so keep working on yours. Best of luck to you in the contest.

                James Putnam