The questions raised by existence induce
either a Kantian solution, by virtue of which space and time are
no longer objective phenomena, or they force us to admit an orthoexistence
(space and time being objective in the universe). For questions
concerning awareness, we can again resort to orthoexistence and
this is a further argument in favour of a sounder conception of
orthoexistence. But how should these philosophical considerations
be scientifically approached? Should they be approached by experimental
philosophical introspection, by studying the elementary particles
and the cosmos, the behavior of the nervous system, the automata,
the logical and the mathematical work of the brain, the intuitive
and integral thought ?
The study of the macroscopic behavior of animals
and man together with the investigation of man's internal, spiritual
states may turn out to be most fruitful.
The elementary particles originate in the
realm of orthoexistence. With the formation of the universe, a
discrete, fragmented existence arises. In orthoexistence, matter
is likely to have a sui-generis unfragmented yet dialectical
continuity by virtue of two principles: the source matter can
be modelled by means of the informational matter, which is more
versatile and may be subject under certain conditions to the consciousness
developed in a universe. All substances in the universe are actually
processes, an elementary particle like the electron cannot be
imagined or described as being at rest, our whole universe is
actually the motion of the profound matter.
The physical body consisting of atoms, ultimately
of elementary particles, interacts with other bodies in the absence
of any subject. The question is whether this interaction develops
at a macroscopic or at a microscopic scale. The basic interaction
is no doubt microscopic, but the subject describes it in macroscopic
terms because the subject himself behaves macroscopically. That
some bodies assume properties of macroscopic reflection and
this obviously happens first in the case of the living bodies,
gives us a glimpse of the nature of information. The simplest
macroscopic element we observe is an outline in which the
straight line is the characteristic element.
Our property to reflect a straight line and
a geometrical macroscopic form must represent a certain kind of
integrating activity of the brain, which may be related to brain's
awareness of the sui-generis continuum of orthoexistence.
For how else could we reconstitute the continuum? The brain is
a device having this property, but the property should be explained
physically. The continuous macroscopic understanding pertinent
to our mind must reflect in a way a deeper property of matter
once we know that our universe, and our brain included, consist
of particles of the discontinuous, and we seize the continuum
beyond them. The geometrical shape is the correspondent of this
continuum and of our macroscopic representation. The continuous
macroscopic information is a reflection of some property of orthoexistence
and the ingredients of orthoexistence may be involved in the making
of this information.
However, given that existence is discontinuous,
we are forced to develop also some information of the
discrete, of the discontinuum and of the microscopic. Additionally,
we have to find the relations between these kinds of information.
The material world itself encompasses these types of information
in a way. The elementary particles, as the ultimate discrete entities
in our universe, break away from the continuum of the orthoexistence,
under the structuring impulse induced by the informational matter
which, as we have already seen, is rather macroscopic in nature.
So, discrete particles and the associated information spring there
from together with substance and energy. The discrete work in
the universe itself allows that minute working and development
of phenomena which lead to thought, cognition and consciousness
and which make the exertions in the material world meaningful.
The information in orthoexistence, which is structure-oriented
so as to support the general laws of the universe, is a "programme"
passive in itself, it is not yet a consciousness. It develops
in the universe only as a result of some social processes.
Does the wave-corpuscle duality not mirror
the discrete-continuum duality ? Behind this duality there must
be more profound realities which man has not elucidated so far.
These dualities are most likely the grounds of an investigation
along the above-mentioned lines. The explanation of like processes
will no doubt require long efforts, but we can now envisage the
path to be taken.
Another approach is to study the internal,spiritual states of man
versus his machine states. Severalpreliminary remarks have been made
elsewhere9,
while other considerations, given in the other chapters herein,
refer mainly to the man-automaton relation and to the scientific,
ultimately mathematical, description of the spiritual states.
There exist grounds to believe that science
can now thrust deeper into the material world. As has already
been observed, there is no well-defined border between the science
for knowledge and the science for society, though
the research grounds differ according to the two approach manners.
History, Philosophical Futureand Science
32
