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October 5, 2004
Abstract
In his tutorial Biology 576: Landscape Ecology & Macroscopic Dynamics: Self-
known physical laws. Somehow the order arises from the multitude interactions
of the simple parts, and the laws that may govern this behavior are not well
understood.”
loops must include cells, living tissue, immune systems, brains, populations,
6. Emergence: “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and the whole
exhibits patterns and structures that arise spontaneously from the parts”.
perception, when the observer’s attention shifts from the micro-level of the
agents to the macro-level of the system. Emergence fits well into the
system can follow discrete rule sets.” These interactions effect self-organized
This paper discusses the origins of order with emphasis on nature and mental
orders, the steps in organizing, and how systems use order to make sense of their
Origins of Order
Somewhere on the edge of chaos where the path of complexity and computation
cross, natural order emerges and causes conditions through which we attempt to make
“Optimal system states (status)” offer peaks of connectivity that links information. The
faster information travels the more chaotic a system appears. Less connected systems
(information that moves slowly) settle quickly into stable or periodic states. This
dynamic may be the sole parameter through which self-organization takes place.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth
was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And
the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be
light and there was light. And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God
Order allows us to make sense of our surroundings and also of our experiences.
When considering the origin of order, we have to consider how the organization of order
helps us to place the pieces of reality into a structure that we can understand with
clarity. By applying the structure of organization to our experiences we are able to use
what we know more effectively and to recall the events with clarity that adds meaning
There are three steps to organizing order: clustering, analyzing, and prioritizing.
similarities based upon causes, people, results, things, etc.; and 3) Identify the cluster
symbolically. When analyzing, we look for clusters and individual items that we can
omit or add. As we clarify through purpose, we research for additional “data links” that
we may need to identify to help present our position. When prioritizing, we create a
mental outline of the analyzed clusters that makes sense and offers meaning to our
position.
According to the text, there are four natural orders that are consistent with the
natural laws or order and also within out mind. Following is a discussion of each of the
orders and how they are used by individuals as well as culturally by society.
Topical Order
Things have a “natural place” and topical order helps us to describe objects and
places in the physical dimension (natural world). We follow a predefined path in our
description such as from top to bottom or right to left, etc. Individuals working with
natural laws may use topical order to define their experiences and these may include
When applying the steps of organizing to the topical order we cluster details,
analyze that which we wish to keep or discard, and prioritize the experience by
arranging the details from top to bottom, etc. Topical order follows the fundamental
constructs of time and space by arranging things and thoughts into a progressive
Analogical Order
The mind is a powerful tool and is able to metaphorically link our thoughts and
We group the likenesses when analyzing and prioritize by mixing the ideas to creatively
central theme toward their audience. In analogy we realize that the taste of an entire
Chronological Order
that the beginning is an introduction (abstract), the middle is the body or the meat of the
experience, and the conclusion is the end or what we have learned from the experience.
Often times what we remember most clearly is what we have learned and also we can
see the end of an idea or experience perhaps before its beginning. When applying
organization to the chronological order we realize that when we receive the information
and recite the event, it is naturally clustered and prioritized. Our challenge in applying
the chronological is to discern what is useful and what should be discarded – what adds
to the story or is too much information that actually distracts from the experience.
Chronological order is the easiest to comprehend and to recall – it is the most natural
flow.
Causal Order
Cause and effect helps us to identify reasons or challenges that we can use to
modify our behaviors and thus, our experiences. “If you always do what you’ve always
done – you will always get what you’ve always got!” accurately describes how causal
order effects our lives and our thoughts. Change has reasons. When applying
clustering to causal order, we look for similar experiences, through analyzing the events
we identify the root our underlying causes, and through prioritizing we effectuate change
Mental Orders
scientific and logical. Scientific order finds uses in manufacturing, cooking, business,
and some engineering processes requiring empirical data. Four steps of scientific
order is applied in the educational fields with changing premises that function best
Conclusion
laws that generate positive and negative feedback such that independent
do so, and that the impact of that behavior tends to facilitate more
complex relationships of mutual assistance than could ever be
system.
This author seems to support Decker’s views regarding the origin and
emergence of order.
and meaningless void - and God does not gamble or throw the dice. Everything
happens with reason, purpose, and in perfect rhythm – although often times we are
References
Decker, Ethan H. Biology 576: Landscape Ecology & Macroscopic Dynamics: Self-
http://sevilleta.unm.edu/~bmilne/bio576/instr/html/SOS/sos.html#ch1.
Kirby, Gary R. and Goodpaster, Jeffrey R. (1999). Thinking, Second Edition. Chapter