Soundly Based On Fact?

Before I go off on a little tangent (yes, another one) to examine the use of the naive ‘character’ as portrayed by ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, and it’s deeper meaning, I am wondering why it is that the food provided to grandmother, is not substantial, but sweet treats? High in sugar, rather than any goodness. Old people need a better diet than just sweets. They need their vitamins and greens. Or is ‘Red’ actually being sacrificed, by the mother who perhaps has knowledge of the true nature of the grandmother, as part of this concept? Its obvious, once you start to question the real underlying concepts of such a simple story, you start to realise there are darker, more fearful and wider serious implications. Not just to the fairy tales, but to all decisions. How do we make those decisions?Hood’

It is not that I am suggesting every story is based on this intense level of consideration when it was created. Or is it? Put simply, every decision made in life, (even me standing before these two showies after having stolen the toy windmill – in case you had forgotten where we were in the story) is influenced by one, or more, of three specific ways. They are, Historical, Practical and/or Ethical. Logically, every time you do something, state something, or write something (the fairy tales for example), you involve these rapid considerations of these three aspects. For example, even something as simple as crossing the road. There you would use both Practical and Historical aspects. Practical, in that you possess the knowledge and understand the concepts necessary to cross the road safely. You then exercise specific caution based on Historical experience. You carry out the action recalling the necessary awareness from previous incidents. Every argument you make contains Historical interpretation. You possess a Practical methodology on how to argue, but shape that argument with the Historical knowledge.

Of course the issue of Ethical affects everything. There are many people who, while knowingly considering the Ethical, ignore it for their own benefit. Knowingly choosing un-ethical options. The matter has still presented its argument, as one of the three specific ways, but many people make a personal choice to ignore it. So, while the three subjects affect every outcome, not all control the actual decision. The greatest effect upon our decisions is Historical. Even with powerful computers and the quest for artificial intelligence, without possessing a high amount of actual learning and existing knowledge, the decisions made are incredibly poor. The Historical, provides the necessary information. The ability to process is next, by way of the Practical. Possessing the skills to analyse, even historical, information and ability to apply to specific situations is necessary. But any argument for such leaps in abilities for computers must retain an Ethical consideration. Can you imagine a computer system that chose to ignore the ethical effect by it’s decisions? Would a computer make decisions in its favour even if it caused hardships (or worse, death) to other species, land or humans for example? Would we want those Artificial Intelligence computers to make any final decisions without the over-riding influence of Ethical decision-making. I know I wouldn’t.

(Continued tomorrow)