From International Viewpoints (IVy) Issue 19 - November 1994
See Home Page at http://www.ivymag.org/
Understanding(1) and Logic 10
By Frank Gordon, USA
Let's take a broader view of Logic 10, and its relation both to
understanding
a situation, and the development of a science (an organized body of
knowledge.)
Logic 10: The value of a datum is established by the amount of
alignment
(relationship) it imparts to other data.
Cognitions(2)
Everyday is filled with cognitions, unless the person is too enmeshed
in some rigid system composed of 'spur of the moment snap judgement
generalities' (aberrated 'stable data'). Generalities
like 'All blanks are blankety-blank.' If these are as-ised,
a truer alignment can occur (like 'When some blanks are pressured
they can act in a blankety-blank way.')
Generally when we meet new situations, observe them and ask 'What's
going on?', we look for a pattern or key datum such that the situation
will 'make sense' to us.
I once observed a brother deep in thought for 10 minutes after a
stressful
interview with a Mr X. Then his head came up and he said, 'Oh,
he's a politician!' (meaning concerned with ego, clout, and power.)
In this way he aligned (and understood) Mr X's actions by using this
pattern as a key datum.
In Chemistry
The Atomic Theory of the elements led to enormous advances in
Chemistry,
followed by a recognition that these elements combine in definite
weight proportions, and Mendeleyev's alignment of them in the Periodic
Table.
In Medicine
Pasteur's germ theory, arising from his work with why some wines
went bad, led to important advances in controlling and understanding
diseases.
With the invention of the microscope, it provided a key datum for
understanding a wide field, from Lister's recognition of the need
for sterile techniques (Doctors had actually been spreading disease)
to Jenner's discovery of protection against smallpox by using the
relatively harmless cowpox for vaccination.
But the key and aligning datum here was the recognition of tiny living
microbes, what they could do, and how they could be controlled.
Running Goals
The value of finding and running goals by Hubbard was their aligning
power. They 'made sense' out of the collection of items.
One dramatic everyday example of this is the father who asks a boy,
'What are your intentions towards my daughter?' This is an
important question. I observed one father whose daughter had just
begun dating go through some wild and anxious fantasies about what
was happening in the back seat of his car.
A knowledge of someone's intentions helps align and clarify any
situation.
The Science of Organizing Sciences
Logics 8, 10 and the others are explicit principles for organizing
any body of knowledge. They obviously guided Hubbard, and his
formulation
of them is a valuable contribution.
(1)Understanding is composed of affinity,
reality and communication. It's an action, i.e., an attraction to
a given reality (set of agreements) leads to a communication and
involvement
with it. Also, the result of aligning phenomena (data) with a key
datum. E.g., Hubbard aligned a large variety of data with the engram.
(2)Cognition, 1. as-ising aberration with a realization
about life. (HCOB 26 Apr 71 I) 2. a pc origination indicating he has
'come to realize'.It's a 'What do you know, I ...'
statement (HCOB 14 May 69 II) 3. something a pc suddenly understands
or feels. 'Well, what do you know about that?' (HCOB 25 Feb
60) Tech Dictionary 1979