| 1 | It remains a fundamental truth that the greatest advancements of civilization have come from the harnessing of the creative potential of the mind. |
| 2 | It is also true that the most destructive force threatening the survival of the Homo Sapien species is derived from that same creative potential. |
| 3 | That humanity can be so creative and yet so destructive remains the central paradox of history. |
| 4 | We have the ability to make fire to cook food and keep warm; yet also to abuse it as a terrible terror against your enemies; and |
| 5 | The invention of the axe for cutting trees and making implements; yet also being a terrible weapon of war; and |
| 6 | The invention of gunpowder capable of clearing rocks and mountains; yet it is also the grains of mass destruction; and |
| 7 | The discovery of radiation for power and industry; yet a cruel and monstrous means of extermination. |
| 8 | So much of what we see or may take for granted, began not in nature or a product of evolution, but through the creative genius of another in inscribing an idea upon a piece of paper. |
| 9 | For many of us, the home in which we live and place in which we work was once an idea in the mind of an architect and then upon blueprints. |
| 10 | Even the books we read or appliances we may use were once an idea in the mind of an author or designer before they were printed or manufactured. |
| 11 | These ideas were not accidents or random events, but of deliberate designed and planned with purpose and function. |
| 12 | Therefore, a more appropriate description for such ideas that are formed with purpose and function might be to call such ideas models. |
| 13 | So while an electric light bulb was once an idea, it can also be considered a model because it was invented for a purpose. |
| 14 | Similarly, a computer or a series of text books or even a religion might also be described as types of models. |
| 15 | You may use a model as a means of creating a method of transport such as a car, or a way of cooling food, such as a refrigerator; or |
| 16 | You may subscribe to a model of religious or scientific thought that provides a means of understanding how the Universe, the human species and your life makes sense; or |
| 17 | You may use a thousand different models to live and work at a particular place in a particular home and street and suburb and city. |
| 18 | Language and dictionaries and grammar are models and elements of models. |
| 19 | Even if we chose to turn our back upon the world and abandon all manner of modern appliances and technology models, we would still be dependent upon models of thought, of language, of clothes and even models of the simplest of tools. |
| 20 | Thus, there is nothing intrinsically bad or evil about models or ideas or systems, as even nature uses ideas and systems. |
| 21 | Without models and systems our bodies would not function and we would not exist. |
| 22 | Without models and systems, ecosystems could not function, or life sustain on planet Earth. |
| 23 | Therefore, do not be distracted by those that promulgate madness and stupidity against practical and realistic ideas or models or systems. |
| 24 | Instead, let us consider the fact that so many of the models we use and take for granted, we do so without considering how they work? Or why they work? |
| 25 | It is incredible to consider that for the most part, survival in society depends upon a high level of trust that the thousands of models we use each and every day will work. |
| 26 | A commuter on a train may not care who invented the concept of train travel, or who built the type of train in which they travel, only that it works and will get them to their destination on time. |
| 27 | Similarly, each of us subscribe to many hundreds of models of philosophy and science invented and written by men and women over thousands of years. |
| 28 | We did not invent such ideas, nor design the models, nor did our parents or immediate ancestors. Yet we may trust such models work. |
| 29 | All models therefore share one common purpose: A model is a construct of laws and principles that seek to influence matter or define it in some way. |
| 30 | Whether it be a philosophy, or a model to build a toaster, both seek to define or influence objects in some way. |
| 31 | All models may be viewed in terms of target purpose and target outcome: That is to say a model must be seen in terms of its target purpose and what is the desired outcome. |
| 32 | The target purpose may be to understand where you fit within the Universe and the meaning for your life. The target outcome may be to find purpose and reasoning of your existence and therefore potentially lead a fulfilling and happy life. |
| 33 | Therefore, at one level we can consider models as nothing more than tools that can be measured depending upon their usefulness at achieving certain outcomes. |
| 34 | A personal computer may be extremely useful for people living in a modern city, but totally useless to someone in a remote location with no access to power or knowledge of its use. |
| 35 | A comprehensive system of law may be important for a large city or nation, but irrelevant to a small self sufficient community of people that trust one another and share common values. |
| 36 | All models therefore have a certain utility or usefulness: That is to say that as our needs change, a model may provide a range of target outcomes. |
| 37 | A model of a washing machine is constrained by a limited number of purposes, yet a multi-function knife may provide a large number of uses. |
| 38 | In theory, when a model fails to provide the necessary utility needed, then people should have the ability to find a replacement. |
| 39 | This is certainly the case and choice that many have with commodities and appliances – to replace an old appliance with a new model. |
| 40 | It is also the case in relation to models of society and government when people vote for different parties, or new laws and changes to the fabric of society are implemented. |
| 41 | Yet it appears much harder when considering philosophies and models such as aspects of science or religion that no longer provide the necessary utility as models. |
| 42 | Science, for example, is yet to agree on a comprehensive and complete unified theory of all the forces, matter, rules and energy of the Universe. Yet we continue to trust and rely on Science as a complex model. |
| 43 | Many religions and philosophies fail to adequately answer even the simplest of questions to the motives of a Supreme Being, or the precise nature of an Afterlife, or the paradox of evil and death. Yet many hundreds of millions of people continue to follow such models. |
| 44 | There may be many reasons why people do not treat models of mind and reason in the same manner as models of appliances and technology. |
| 45 | One might be in the manner in which ideas and models of science and religion are presented not as models but as if blocks of granite, or some supernatural form. |
| 46 | Another reason that ideas and models of science or religion are not replaced might be the absence of a credible alternative. |
| 47 | Whatever the reasons, as we continue this journey, let us keep in mind and never forget that even the oldest claims of science or religion remain from one perspective just a model. |
| 48 | As with any model, no matter how ancient a precept, we are entitled to see the same level of purpose, function and utility as any other model. |
| 49 | Therefore, let us consider an essential element to all models being the idea of Rules. |
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1 Exordium - Beginning