Yes, this is still a political blog. Hang on tight. By talking about the shifting, changing, and - yes - evolution of patterns, we can stand back a couple of feet from some of our emotional reactions to events in our own political and personal lives and be somewhat objective and analytical, from time to time.
Physical patterns basically have three ways of surviving and/or propogating same/similar patterns, vis a vis other patterns. Let us create a term for survival and propogation as a single concept, since these are the two basic ways in a which a pattern can continue to be registered as having a place in non-abstract existence -- we'll call this concept "provival" The modes of provival are side by side coexistence, interdependence, and competition. Let us first consider these modes where they are relatively successful. In the first, coexistence, the primary pattern -- that is the pattern in question -- is basically indifferent to the existence of the secondary pattern, at least with regard to provival, because it is able to continue in its current state without significantly interacting or being affected by the other (pattern). In the second, interdependence, the primary pattern in fact exists in its current state, or achieves a subsequent state with strong provival qualities, in part because of the effects of the other. The primary pattern takes on qualities of the other, or is otherwise influenced by the other in a manner that at the "worst" has little effect on provival, and at "best" enhances it ("bad" and "good" being value-neutral designations in this theoretical discussion, because this discussion applies to any pattern). This process of influencing the other is likely to manifest itself as a two way street, since most patterns will have some effect, direct or indirect, upon each other when they come into contact. This is near the essence of chaos theory. But the degree and nature of the effects may be asymmetrical, as well as diffuse. Finally, in the mode of competition, the existence, survival and propogation of the other presents a threat such that the primary pattern, in order to provive, must contain the kinetic (active) ability to cause the alteration, diminishment, or extinction of the other. Which if any mode will be the most successful, where success is defined by provival, depends of course upon the how the mode is implemented, the nature of the other pattern, and the modes and methods it employs. In an inanimate world or when unaffected by intelligence, there may not be "choices" as to the mode or the methods; things simply "happen", although there may random or quasi-random factors involving such things as quantum and chaos theory. Chaos and other modes of randomness are important to take into account in any case, since the universe consists of untold numbers of patterns interacting with each other. But to a certain degree, we should be able to focus on discrete interactions between discrete numbers of patterns, just as physics can focus on Newtonian mechanics for many practical purposes even while allowing that there are chaotic and quantum factors to be taken into account; the latter factors also can be used practically in many situations.
However, this is a political blog, so the specific types of patterns I am interested in are human beings and patterns that directly and perceivably affect human beings, especially ones that human beings can influence. So I am interested in applying this theory of patterns to questions, most obviously, or war and peace, and also to issues such as our attitude towards our environment and towards one another as human beings. But let me also remind everyone that this theory of patterns, or if you prefer, way of looking at everything as patterns, applies to all realms of analysis pertaining to the physical or non-abstract world, for example chemistry, physics, and biology. The interesting thing when you get to human beings is really the question of choice. Without choice, patterns arise, jostle and affect each other, sometimes propogate, and then eventually disappear, perhaps replaced by their progeny of same or similar patterns. With choice and intelligence such as our own, the same things happen, but they don't just happen. We human beings are able to think about, choose, experiment with, and refine our modes of provival -- or choose indifference or extinction. Of course, any choice or strategy may backfire and produce the opposite of its intent, unless the actor is truly indifferent and so has no intent. So the discussion of provival becomes not just a question of examining uncaring forces, but of what we "should" choose to do about the condition of our existence, since we care -- whatever it is exactly that means!
An additional interesting wrinkle to the provival of human patterns is the aspect of guessing. Unlike, say a kaleidoscope or chemicals interacting in a beaker, humans try to look ahead at what the other pattern is going to do next and how it will affect them. Examples from game theory and economics are brought to mind. Both patterns are trying to maximize provival; it is possible to imagine instances in which provival is maximized by either cooperation or conflict, as generically outlined above, but that also depends what the other chooses. However, it seems to me that this is an argument for building mutual trust as a long term process; when our guesses at the behavior of the other become more reliable and we are working for either common or mutually compatible goals, cooperating, success will be maximized. Imagine our energies being directed as vectors, which are additive in their combined effect. If we combine them in a common direction, there will be greater progress for both (or more) patterns/people/civilizations. If we apply these vectors in opposite directions, our provivial efforts would tend to cancel out. Let us take war as an example: One side may defeat the "other" and declare "victory", but meanwhile many people have been killed on both sides rather than nurtured so that they could contribute to the provival of society; schools, hospitals, and other buildings have been blown up rather than built; violence has been given longer term credibility and inertia rather than discredited; and in general many patterns contrary to the pattern of human provival have been carried out and given inertia, and much energy has been expended that could have been applied more constructively and effectively to the provival of either humanity as a whole or to that of one side or the other. Two vectors pointing in the same or similar directions move much more quickly towards a common goal.
(It may be another interesting essay to consider the current Iraq war and of the so-called "War on Terror" in the context of the professed or likely goals of all sides involved. An additional factor in the dance of human patterns is the renegotiation of goals themselves, which takes place in the context of a hierarchy of goals, in which provival itself may be the "highest" goal, but the negotiation will affect the precise nature of what type(s) of pattern(s) provive(s).)
Like everything else on this blog, this is to be continued in future posts and/or edited above...
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