Isn't spontanious order overrated?

From: Max M (maxm@maxmcorp.dk)
Date: Fri Sep 04 1998 - 04:30:05 MDT


It has become quite a dogma (on this list) that self organisation in
spontaneous systems is the best way to do most things. I can certainly
understand the fascination with this way of thinking.

It's a bit like watching neatly arranged domino pieces topple as they hit
each other. For me it's a bit like a boyhood fantasy if the world really
worked like this. "You start of a simple yet complex system and magically it
evolves into an optimal state, like intelligence."

It's the kind of fascination that makes some computergames so great.
"Boulder Dash", "Lemmings", "Command & Conquer", "Sim City" and others.

I do think though that it is in large part of the current trends in science
and culture with buzzwords like: complexity, Genetically evolved programs,
Neural nets, fractals etc. Math and the sciences har recently discovered
this way of thinking, and like the carpenter with a new hammer, everything
looks like a nail.

There is no doubt in my mind that spontanious order has it's place, but Iøm
equally certain that it's not a cureall for all of our complex problems.

Especially in politics and economics spontanious order and the invisible
hand is hot. But if the free market is the answer to most economical and
political problems, then it's a bit like saying that intelligence has little
value. If simple interconnected systems can perform wel in complex
enviroments why the have intelligence done so well until now.

Probably a company like Microsoft is proof that inside the free markets and
the spontanity there will be pockets of not so free markets. Big
organisations that are run top down by intelligent leaders.

This means that there at some levels will be free markets and at some levels
there will not.

Then my question is, at what level will spontanious order work best?

Hilsen/regards

Max M Rasmussen
New Media Director
Denmark

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