Grover Partee writes (7-Sept):
>Man is a communal animal. We are descended from creatures who were able
>to survive because they banded together in families, clans, and tribes.
>Even our primate cousins recognize the value (as well as safety) in
>numbers. We're talking about learning *organizations* here. Not
>solitary, self-absorbed, antisocial and potentially dangerous whackos.
Wow! Tell us what you really think ;-). Seriously, thanks for the
passionate reply, and for sharing with the list a more complete reference
for the philosophy of Ayn Rand and others who share(d) her beliefs. This
philosophy has also been characterized as "objectivism" and has been cited
by proponents as *the* source for most, if not all, progress achieved by
modern civilization. Hmmmm.
Rick (our host) has also asked for help on relating these concepts to Org
Learning, so perhaps the following quote from the book would help to
direct the conversation toward the list objectives.
"Thought is a weapon one uses in order to act. Thought is a tool by which
one makes a choice. Thought sets one purpose and the way to reach it." --
Atlas Shrugged
If we extend the context of this message from the individual (as advocated
by Rand) to the organization, perhaps we can begin to see a connection
between this philosophy and the possibilities offered by organizational
learning. This connection may actually be consistent with the beliefs
advocated by Mr. Partee in his earlier note:
>Man is a communal animal. We are descended from creatures who were able
>to survive because they banded together in families, clans, and tribes.
Perhaps organizational (and individual) survival in an increasingly
complex and dynamic world will require us to "band together" in learning
communities? Other thoughts or comments?
All the best,
- James
--James Ray --------------------------------------------- AT&T Solutions Voice: 202-414-3905 Organizational Learning Fax: 202-414-3949 Washington, D.C. jamesr@attsolhq.attmail.com
"No amount of sophistication is going to allay the fact that all your knowledge is about the past and all your decisions are about the future." -- Ian E. Wilson
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>