This post is about a Genre of Operators, Arguments and Expressions that appear to be needed to create living system software. Maybe this post can help my partner Paco Moreno to progress in his application work that he wrote about in his post - Living System Software - How?
This post is about an idea that was given to me yesterday directly from my unconscious. I was doing focused conscious work at that time that completely dominated my conscious psyche, so far as I was aware - And it was not even remotely associated with software. Suddenly this idea grabbed my conscious attention. Maybe it is non-sense and maybe not. I ask my colleagues to help me learn which.
The idea goes like this - Since living system structure and dynamics are always Bi-Polar, we must for living system software have Bi-Polar Operators, or Meta-Operators. This is such a non-conventional idea that I need to try to explain what I am talking about. Therefore this post may get to be rather long. I will work hard to keep it interesting.
What does Bi-Polar mean in this sense?
First let me contrast linear systems with living systems.
Linear systems are inherently Uni-Polar. This means that their dimensions or characteristics are single pole and independent of each other. These dimensions are separate, opposite and mutually exclusive. These dimensions are independent variables. This gives rise to the linear cause to effect, sequential logic of linear systems. There can be more than one solution to any question, but one must be the right answer, or at least the preferred answer. Paradoxes, or statements of conflicting opposites, must be resolved to get useful answers. An End-Point concept of life and work results that is viewed by a linear conscious psyche as the means to scientifically (according to linear science) verified progress.
Living Systems are inherently Bi-Polar. This means that their dimensions or characteristics are double pole and inter-dependent with each other. These dimensions are not separable, they are complementary opposite and mutually essential to each other. They are two pole inter-dependent variables. For a living system there is No Independent ANYTHING. This gives rise to the non-linear pattern-of-cause-to-pattern of effect logic of living systems. Each solution to any question is a result of a dynamic mix of pairs of the two complementary polar opposites in cyclical cycles, not in linear sequence. There is a dynamic cyclical mix of pairs of mutually essential poles in every right answer. (To the Linear Psyche this situation is NO answer at all , but non-sense.) Paradoxes, or statements of conflicting opposites, can never be resolved because the polar opposites are inherently inseparable. Paradoxes are to be lived as the foundation for validity in life and work. A Cyclical Process concept of life and work results that is viewed to the living system psyche as the means to scientifically (according to living system science) verified progress.
Now let me give an example. After that I will try to describe what living system software operators may be.
The Example of Order and Chaos.
In a Linear System world of life and work, Order and Chaos are mutually exclusive. In fact they are defined in terms of the absence of each other. (This is the concept of life and work that is still dominant, but is now in decline) If something is orderly it is without chaos. If something is chaotic it is without order. In the Linear world, to be orderly means to be stuck at the Pole of Order and the relationship with the opposite Chaos Pole is severed.
For linear system life and work, this is the desired position to be in because Order is desirable and Chaos is not. Chaos is to be avoided or eliminated from your life and work. The inherent bi-polar structure of our Creator's universe with respect to the dynamic partnership of Order AND Chaos cannot be perceived by a Linear Psyche. Conscious Order is deemed good and Chaos is bad and is to be denied, eliminated, ignored or banished to the unconscious. In Linear System Software the Operators must be Orderly and lead to orderly behavior of the software. The Operators must be uni-polar in all ways so that Chaos is eliminated.
In the Living System world of life and work, Order and Chaos are mutually essential. In fact they are defined in terms of the equally important presence of each other in dynamic collaboration. Living system dynamics is based on the mutually enabling capacity of Order and Chaos. In short, they are Partners. For example: If something is mostly orderly in the conscious it is a good time to achieve specific conscious operating results. If something is mostly chaotic in the conscious it is a good time to achieve specific insights from the unconscious (that is the source for dramatic new advances). This is the process that can lead to dramatic new discoveries and results that were not even conceived of earlier. (Carl Jung's practice of Active Imagination is the tool for accomplishing this)
In the Living System world if something is only orderly it is temporarily without significant chaos at one extreme of an order-chaos cycle in life and work. If something is only chaotic it is temporarily without significant order at the other extreme of an order-chaos cycle in life and work. In the Living System world one need never be stuck at either the pole of Order or Chaos. We are constantly in action between the two poles in some integrated combination. The relationship between the complementary poles is never severed.
The desired position for living system life and work is to be in cyclical dynamic balance between the poles. Order and Chaos are both desirable in their proper balance for the situation of life and work at hand. Neither Order or Chaos is to avoided or eliminated from your life and work. The inherent bi-polar structure of our Creator's universe with respect to the dynamic partnership of Order AND Chaos is perceived by a Living System Psyche. Neither Order or Chaos is either inherently good or bad and to be denied, eliminated, ignored or banished to the unconscious. In Living System Software the Operators must, it seems to me, to inherently bi-polar.
Now let's discuss how a living system operates and then imagine what Living System Software Operators may be like.
How a Living System Operates
Again a contrast with a linear system may be helpful. All systems have two fundamental dimensions - Their structure and their dynamics, or process of behavior.
For a linear system, the structure is primary. Once the structure is defined and put in place the dynamics is the result of the structure. Structure determines behavior. The structure is externally determined and put into place. A linear system is a closed and a Dead System - It cannot self-determine or re-organize its own structure to be able to change its dynamics. A linear system can be independent of its environments. External design and construction is necessary and operational management to adjust its operating behavior is also necessary. Linear system structure evolves qualitatively only through external intervention.
For a living system, its structure and dynamics are a bi-polar pair of system dimensions that dynamically co-determine each other continuously. Living systems are always inter-related with some enabling and nurturing environment that enables this process to proceed and guides and shapes its process. There is no such thing as an independent living system. Living systems evolve cyclically through a bi-polar process of self-enabled evolution. This evolution process must be consistent with the dimensions of the enabling and nurturing environment - The system's Morphic Field.
Note: The reason I am taking you through all this explanation is because Living System Software must be able to deal with these dimensions of living systems. Possibly, bi-polar system evolution is the most fundamental thing that living system software must be able to describe. It is at the heart of all living system software application. So let's go deeper into living system evolution before we try to define the new type of software operators that may be needed to work with living systems.
The majority of the bi-polar evolution process of a living system takes place within semi-stable regions of system operations called Stages.
The first type of evolution is quasi-linear, continuous gradual development within a given stage. This is called Intra-Stage Development Evolution. In biological evolution this is the conventional "Darwinian" type of evolution. It is a continuous bi-polar self-organization (within a Stage) that gradually adjusts both the system structure and its dynamics - But these evolutionary changes are not sufficient to trigger the system to abruptly transform to another quasi-stable region of structure and dynamics qualitatively different from the current stage.
At critical times of living system's life, it reaches a point when the system enters a second type of evolution. It is called Inter-Stage Transformation Evolution - It is really Transcendence from one Stage of structure and dynamics to a qualitatively different one. It is a highly non-linear, discontinuous, abrupt transformation type of evolution. This is when the system becomes highly chaotic, prepares to transcend its prior stage and then leaps to a qualitatively new stage of structure and dynamics radically different from what preceded it. It is crucial to note that living systems make these inter-stage transitions WITHOUT the planning or control of conventional mangers. The living system then settles down in its new stage and begins its gradual development in the new stage as the first part of a new evolution cycle.
Note: Such an inter-stage leap is now in progress throughout the world for the seventh time in human history in the lives and work of leading edge humans. In fact, Living System Human Nature is the driving force for this current transformation - That unfortunately many do not yet perceive. Living System Science and Living System Software are of course the guiding lights for the advancement of human knowledge now.
Thus, each evolution cycle of a living system includes one period of quasi-linear development within a given stage (Type 1 Evolution - Intra-Stage Evolution) and one much shorter period of transcendent leap away from its current stage into the next stage in its evolutionary history (Type 2 Evolution - Inter-Stage Evolution). This whole process is self-driven so long as the enabling and nurturing environment is consistent with the process continuing.
What Living System Software Operators May be Like
Living System Software must be able to deal with the bi-polar process of living system structure-dynamics and both types of system evolution that I have just described. Therefore, its operators must themselves have a living system structure and dynamics. That could mean that a living system software operator is not a single operator but is a bi-polar operator pair.
Again let's contrast a conventional linear software expression with what could be a living system software expression.
A linear system software expression is composed of an operator that acts on some argument list to return some value. For example: A Lisp expression would be given as follows:
(Operator Argument List). An example could be ( + a b) which means that the addition operator operates on the arguments a and b to add then and return the result = a + b.
Possibly a living system software expression requires a new type of bi-polar operator - A Meta-Operator.
Recall that the structure and dynamics of a living system is inherently bi-polar in all its dimensions, structural and dynamic. Such a living system software expression could have the syntax of a meta-operator that acts on some argument array. The expression could be given as follows:
(Meta-Operator Argument Array)
The meta-operator would be a new type bi-polar operator composed of a pair of two complementary opposite operators. The meta-operator would be named for a bi-polar dimension of a living system. The meta-operator would operate over the range between the two polar opposite operators. At one extreme of the range the meta-operator would act like it was a linear operator for only the one polar operator. At the other extreme of the meta-operator's range, the meta-operator would act like it was a linear operator for the other polar operator. Between the two extreme poles, the meta-operator would act as some coupled combination of the two polar opposite operators.
Now let's use our previous discussion of living system bi-polar evolution to deal with the question of living system software operators.
For example: A living system meta-operator named Evolution would be composed of the two complementary polar opposite operators called Intra-stage Development Operator and Inter-Stage Transformation Operator.
During the intra-stage development part of the system's evolution cycle, it would act on the argument array according to its nature close to the Intra-Stage Development Pole. The amount of system Order would be quite high and Chaos quite low. As the system's development evolution matures, the evolution Operator will take on behavior appropriate for a more central position on its range between the two polar extremes. Here the amount of Chaos grows and the amount of Order decreases. As the system prepares for Inter-Stage Transformation, the Evolution Operator will take on more behavior appropriate for the Inter-Stage Transformation Operator alone. Here the amount of Chaos is very high and the amount of Order becomes negligible at the time of the transcendent leap to the next Stage of system life.
Note: To make my explanation above I have used the Order-Chaos Meta-Operator also. It is clear that these meta-operators for living systems are NOT independent of each other. They are highly inter-dependent. As the Evolution Operator moves along its range between its two opposite poles so does the Order-Chaos Operator. Of course there are also other meta-operators involved too that i am not mentioning in this example.
Now there are just a few more points to complete this first attempt to define the Meta-Operators for an emerging living system software science.
What is an Argument Array
It seems plausible to me that each polar opposite operator of a meta-operator, if it were a separate linear operator by itself, would have its own unique list of arguments that it would operate on. It seems plausible to me that we cannot make an argument list for a meta-operator by simply adding together the two argument lists. That is a linear addition that cannot be correct for living system arguments.
It seems plausible to me that a two dimensional array could be a way to describe the two argument lists and their interactions. The columns of the two dimensional array would be named for the arguments for one of the operators. The rows of the two dimensional array would be named for the arguments of the other operator. The top row of the array would be the active arguments for system behavior at one of the polar extremes. The left most column of the array would be the active arguments for system behavior at the other polar extreme. When the system is operating on its range between the polar opposites, the cross terms of the array would become active. The cress terms define new arguments that result because both operator poles of the meta-operator are active to a significant degree.
How do You Define the Current Operating Point between the Polar Extremes
It seems plausible that this is where the underlying Morphic Field comes in. An underlying meta-operator is used to tell the operating plane of the system where the system is operating in its evolution cycle.
Since this post is already too long, I believe it is best to delay this discussion for a later post.
The point here is to receive your feedback on what I have written so far about the idea of Living System Software Meta-Operators and Argument Arrays as the components of a new type of Living System Software Expressions.
John Clayton Caris
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