Mark,

  What does a map of the United States look like? Depends on the thing about the US you are mapping. The ToK maps the universe of behavioral complexity...and its shape depends on exactly the key you are using.

  For the record, I don't think the Big History folks are "wrong," in a strong sense of the word. I don't share your harsh assessment of that project. I rather agree with their central claim that much insight and benefit and organization can come from seeing the universe as existing on two axes, that of time and complexity. Indeed, I don't have a problem with sometimes looking at complexity as a single axis. For example, Eric Chaisson's Cosmic Evolution model offers a quantification of complexity as a free energy rate density.

That corresponds very tightly with an angle on the ToK. See:

[cid:image001.jpg@01D43DF7.2E4DE3E0]

What the ToK gets right and other folks get wrong (meaning incomplete and therefore misleading) is that is that they don't differentiate complexity into its central two axes of levels and dimensions as Periodic Table of Behavior does.
[cid:image002.jpg@01D43DF7.2E4DE3E0]

It is the dimensions of complexity that gives the primary ToK is unique, four cone shape. So, I would argue that this point is made, both in the full diagram and in the Periodic Table of Behavior to the left of it. (It is also noted in the levels and dimensions comment in the lower right.)

[cid:image003.png@01D43DF7.2E4DE3E0]

Which makes it different from others that have seen a single cone, such as Reiser, picture here. (Although if you get into Reiser's view, he comes damn close to this key insight...his view is about as close to anyone else I have encountered.
[cid:image004.jpg@01D43DF7.2E4DE3E0]
So, the ToK upgrades the Big History view on this point and then clarifies. It does not reject their view of complexity completely.

G

-----Original Message-----
From: tree of knowledge system discussion <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Mark Stahlman
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2018 10:46 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Large ToK System Poster

Gregg:

As drawn, it misleads on an *essential* point -- complexity.

Your foundational notion of "dimensions of complexity" is lost in what appears to be "linear scale" that implies "degrees/amounts of complexity" (complete with an "arrow-head" pointing towards Culture.)

There is no reason for the "complexity" of Life, Mind and Culture to be at all the *same* as the complexity of Matter or even each other (apart from some people's wishful thinking) -- a fundamental problem that the "Big History" and Santa Fe types have *not* resolved despite
30 years and $300M+ spent on the problem.

If you wish to use the word "complexity," then you will have sort out how to graphically distinguish among "dimensions" and this chart doesn't do that . . . <g>

Mark


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