Hi Ben,
You asked for some feedback on:
> We're evolving, no question, but evolving into what?
Beats me. I personally think evolution works without plan or purpose.
> What are we trying to achieve, really, with LOs?
Well, this is one is easy: a happy, healthy, purpose-full, may i say
creative, life for everyone.
> Is it possible that we're creating an environment that will allow
> technology to continue to evolve without jeopardizing our economic
> stability (even if it should change our economic structures and > patterns)?
Here we could have a small misunderstanding. On the conference in 1995, in
Boston, i was introduced to a game called "Jeopardy", i didn't knew it
until then. In this game, two teams had to find the question to an answer.
So i gather that the answer here is: "creating technology with economic
(and, i presume social) stability". And the question would be ...? I give
up.
Besides, me thinks it is an impossible answer. This world, this universe
is as indifferent to stability as it is to the outcome of evolution. This
is an unfair, unpleasant, chaotic world; and rightly so because it gives
us the opportunity to create short term results, short term order in long
term chaos. And after all if it were a stable place, like the garden of
Eden? Trust us to destroy it by asking some serious questions.
> Are we creating communities that can responsibly use technology?
I do.
> Are we creating a way for a global value system to emerge?.
Well, again, tricky question. "Global" also means "superficial",
"general", "common", at least in Dutch. Moreover, any "system" is bound to
freeze into dogma's, rules and hierarchies. It inevitably seems to run
down into unsolvable dilemma's. And there are plenty value systems at
hand. So i figure, that is not the right question either.
> We certainly don't want a Borg-type society to emerge.
My first reaction was: why not? What are the emotions you do not want to
experience? As a "Gedanken" (German for thought) experiment: what would
you experience as a Borg? And also remember that the Borg-type society is
presented by non-Borgs, who have a predisposition against Borgs. You may
call me Bjorn (bjourn), but do not judge a society before you have walked
a day in their moccasins and lived in their wigwams.
I recently read, i think it was in Scientific American, that an ant-like
community, with one queen and lots of lots of asexual "workers" is
evolutionary very stable and successful. They go boldly were no men dares
to go (or at least stay). After all, in English and American some of these
beings are even called "bee". Hmmmmm.
> So what do we want to create? How can we create a society that uses
> technology for noble purposes instead of as a source of mass
> destruction or terrorism?
Communities that use technology responsibly. And how? Just do it! (can i
use this phrase or is there already a global value system in place that
will fine me? Or has it already worn out its value? Is it now "go for it"
or "go west, young man", or, "live long and prosper", i'm living in The
Netherlands and everything did happen here 50 years later, :-D).
Happy, healthy, purposeful and creative new year to you all.
Jan
--Drs J.C. Lelie CPIM janlelie@pop.pi.net (J.C. Lelie) @date@ @time@ CREATECH/LOGISENS - Sparring Partner in Logistical Development - + (31) 70 3243475 Fax: idem or + (31) 40 2443225
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>