[lbo-talk] New Imperialism?

[jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net]

> Doug:
> > It's hard to say anything's "natural" in human behavior, but
> > nonhierarchical arrangements have yet to present themselves in
> > durable quantity.
> 
> "Natural" is an understatement or perhaps wrong category.  Our all cognitive
> processes necessarily involve hierarchies - without hierarchies we could not
> differentiate, categorize, arrange, analyze, organize - in a word, think in
> rational terms.  Things have no meaning if they are not placed in a context
> that by very definition involves some form of hierarchical arrangement.  
> 
> It is only natural that hierarchy defines human relations, especially those
> involving specialized roles and a large number of individuals.  Trying to
> get rid of hierarchies is sheer lunacy.  The point is not to eliminate them,
> but to reduce some of their dysfunctional qualities.
> 
> Wojtek

Our minds do indeed catagorize things. It is the way they function. But to say catagorization 
equals or necessitates hierarchies is incorrect. Things can have perfect meaning without 
hierarchies being created in the mind. If you have read research on how the mind functions that 
demonstrates the necessity of heirarchies in mental catagorization please let me know some 
titles. What I have read has not posited this as a principle although I am open to the idea.

John Thornton