Thu, 1 Dec 1994 15:44:24 -0800 for <SOCGRAD@UCSD.EDU>
 Dec 94 00:31:14 LCL
   Thu, 01 Dec 94 00:31:14 LCL
From: "John Brady Thomas" <JTHOMAS@max-sch.maxwell.syr.edu>
Organization:  Maxwell School, Syracuse University
To: "T R. Young" <34LPF6T@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Date:          Thu, 1 Dec 1994 00:29:11 EST
Subject:       Re: Causality, Chaos and Postmodern Phil/Sci
John Thomas offered this point in critique of an earlier mini-lecture.
Thought members of socgrad would like to see it...my response follows.

                                                 T.R. Young
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
    T.R.,
    Your first lecture brought to mind a quote I once read and I was
wondering if chaos/complexity theory has anything to say about it -
here it is:

"The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that all energy
systems 'run down' like a clock and never rewind themselves.
But life not only 'runs up,' converting low-energy sea-water,
sunlight and air into high-energy chemicals, it keeps multiplying
itself into more and better clocksthat keep 'running up' faster and
faster."

Your statements seemed to speak in terms of going from order to
disorder more than the other way around which is what made me think
of this quote.  Let me know what you think.  No rush if you're busy.
Thanks for the postings.  JBT