Vandervert's Neurological Positivism

[DavidM58]

Is anyone familiar with this?

From Systemspedia.org:

POSITIVISM (Neurological ³⁾

A theory about the ways world, brain and mind are homologously linked.

This interesting epistemological view has been introduced by L. R. VANDERVERT (1988, p.313-21)

"Neurological positivism asserts that nervous systems project their order onto the environment to extract invariance. This neurological level projective process is father (homologically speaking) to all knowing… and to all cognitive-level projection which is a part of the literature of personality psychology. Knowledge is a category of evolving invariance which arises as the result of the projection of the neurological order" (p.317).

VANDERVERT inspired himself from LASZLO's information flow loop "which include the following:

"1. variant environment

"2. perception input

"3. control coding (or coupling) between input and output (in neurological positivism this is the neurological order)

"4. output (behavior)

"This loop accomplishes two things. First, it maintains invariant steady states in the nervous system (or in cognition) through negative feedback. Second, it self-organizes or adapts the system to the vagaries of the environment through projected or projective positive feedback processes" (Ibid).

VANDERVERT's views should be compared with J.J. GIBSON's ecological perception, BATESON's ecology of mind, von FOERSTER's cybernetics of "observing systems", with MATURANA and VARELA's recursivity and organizational closure and with M. EIGEN's hypercycle.

³⁾ epistemology, ontology and semantics

[Edward theurj Berge]

News to me, thanks.

[Ambo Suno]

Hi David - yes, this, as a sketch, and at a quick sweep by me, sounds right. Or in other words [not that we need other words :),] maybe homeostasis and yet adaptability to "vagaries" and variability in the environment. In this blurb, vagaries and variability of neurologically mediated sensation and perception isn't mentioned, but we seem to be coming to know that all is not uniformly tidy in nature. 'Novelty'-recognizing and 'novelty-seeking' may be examples where perception and basic cognitive processes aren't demanding and fully filtering for "invariance." He probably addresses this elsewhere. Or maybe it's here and I missed it.

Always cool stuff.

I'm guessing daffodils, crocuses, or other juicy early Spring flowers have made some show there is north coastal Washington. I'm picturing your garden from your kitchen window, that you showed here in a photograph. I have some friends closer to the border of Mexico who say that there yard and garden are 'going off!' Or?