The Bootstrap Order

Now that we have looked at each level, let's summarize how the bootstrap occurred and create a systematized layout of what our system looks like.

The Inorganic(1) values Forces(2). Quality forces emerged in the form of patterned forces(3) that bootstrapped to the Biological(4). The biological used a different value system based on fitness(5). The biological began to seek environment(6) and realized that it could manipulate environment into a quality environment via structure(7). The diffusion of biological life to various environments and the ability to create multiple different structures led to the valuing of many different kinds of fitness that we call bio-diversity(8).

This biodiversity eventually found a bootstrap via survival of the fittest to society(9). This occurred because organisms stumbled into an environment where working together allowed genes to survive from generation to generation. These new societies valued resources(10) that they needed to maintain their organization. Because resources were limited societies began to group(11). As these groups sought more and more quality groupings they developed disbursement(12). And the world was filled.

Along the way a second bootstrap from biology occurred when biology discovered that observing what happened over the course of time was a quality way to gain fitness. Intelligence(13) emerged. This system valued time observation(14) and enabled entities to understand the concept of self preservation(15). The ability to observe change over time enabled some animals to not just manipulate the environment via patterned forces as had existed in structure, but now they could create objects(16) based on repeating and rearranged observable forces. These objects led to culture(17) in humans(who had the most advanced brains) as humans sought to pass this knowledge on from one generation to the next(see work and thought on memes). Some humans realized they could leverage inorganic material to create some of these cultural items and machinery(18) was born. Machinery allowed some humans to pursue created objects that have a quality beyond utility and we call these items art(19). The proliferation of goods causes humans to seek a quality exchange of goods that resulted in the creation of cash money(20) based markets. Increased access to capital allowed us to pursue quality machinery resulting in industry(21). Industry freed us to pursue a quality self preservation resulting in increased healthiness(22). The ability for all people to have a healthy existence enabled us to envision multiple societies thriving. This enables diversity(23). Finally, a generally peaceful and healthy planet frees us to pursue quality time observation...aka science(24).

The order that items appear here is important and reveal quite a bit about the development of morality and value over time. First let's take each pair and look at the value authority that is present in each.

patterned forces > (greater value authority) forces - an ordered universe...literally the fact that the seat you are sitting on doesn't drop you onto the floor relies on the fact that patterned forces can suppress unpatterned forces, or chaos.

structure > environment - structure creates and gives form to environment.

biodiversity > reproduction - the definition of survival of the fittest. If you are more fit, you reproduce. A biodiverse planet has more antifragility than a planet with just one species.

art > object creation - we value art more than general objects. We really value beautiful things that are also useful.

disbursement > grouping - we don't all live in the same place for a reason. It is a much more quality use of resources to spread out.

money > resources - Economists might refer to this as the liquidity premium. Money has more value than resources because it can be exchanged for anything else more easily.

industry > machinery - Collusion, cooperation, vertical integration. Call it what you want, but machines working together and in line produce more in less time.

health > self preservation - Self preservation allows you to live a long life but subject to inorganic and biological forces, health allows us to suppress those forces and live even longer

diversity > culture - your culture cannot suppress the diversity of others. Call it political correctness if you like but I like to think of it as not being a jerk.

science > time observation - can you replay it? If so it has more reliability and more value than if you observed a one time occurrence.

We don't just learn about value authority, we also learn something about moral authority. Each system level has moral authority over the one before it. We don't bat an eye when biological systems suppress and manipulate inorganic system. For thousands of years human society didn't seem to bat an eye when a societal edict manipulated biology. From the king's forest to capital punishment, we are only recently started making some concessions that maybe we shouldn't give society free reign over biology...and that comes from our intellectual system observing the poor effects of some of our biological manipulations. We are just now entering a time where we can reliably make intellectual edicts on the societal layer and many of these result in violent reactions from the societal layer. This makes sense: of course those that still operate mostly on the societal plane of existence don't want to be subject to an intellectual layer that they hardly understand, but, it is morally right that they make way. The intellectual has overcome the societal and is more advanced.

Ideally the intellectual should and can find a solution that least disrupts the levels below. That is the quality thing to do. It is also the wise thing to do because the intellectual hasn't overcome the last obstacle in this universe and it is likely that more advanced bootstrap is around the corner. If intellectuals want to be respected in the future by system next, they need to show, with scientific replayability, that the balance between this authority and responsibility is the quality way forward.