Some Epicritical Remarks
279
this, one is easily able to avoid the pitfall of postulating the quantum
physical description as the only scientifically admissible one. On the contrary, depending on the level of "reality" under consideration, a reducibility
of higher levels to the pretended ultimate one, i.e. the quantum physical
level, may become scientifically meaningless. The increase of (phenomenological) complexity reflects itself at different levels, leading to the occurrence
of new properties, the explanation of which not only depends on prime
elements (e.g. quantum physical events) but also on new specific system
characters [3] as the consequence of the structure and all other determinants
which now play a role~irrespective of a theoretically postulated reducibility to quantum physics.
The third prohlem of some significance, which evoked a rather lively
discussion among participants, optimization, refers to the need of a certain
entity (be it a process, an efficiency, a turnover) to be optimized. However,
irrespective of the several mathematical methods we have at hand and which
we may apply routineh'-such as linear or non-linear programming or even
dynamic programming~again certain definite pre-suppositions have to be
accepted. For instance, there is PONTRIJAGIN'S optimum principle defined
in a given system of difFerential equations to maximize (or minimize) a
pay-off function with respect to certain control variables; this clearly
reveals as the essential question the introduction of a certain objective.
This objective acts as a criterion which is to be achieved optimally or in
accordance with which some functions must become optimal. For biology,
of course, it has to be postulated that the objective needs to be biologically
meaningful. The well known "bottle-neck problem", however, convinces
us of the fact that optimization depends on decisions between more or less
equal possibilities. If, for instance, in the production of automobiles steel
is becoming a critical intermediate it has to be decided whether the steel
production or the automobile production has to be promoted. In this
situation the production of one of these two has to be temporarily delayed.
The objective or the decision criterion either has to be brought to the system
from outside~as in 5\'stems optimized by man or, as is the case in organisms
capable of optimizing their own activities, we have to assume that it is an
inherent part of the organism'S organization. Incidentally, mention has to
be made as to the amount of relativity involved in applying an objective for
optimization,
Finally, we may envisage an interesting problem which is referred to
more or less clearly in several of the foregoing papers. Aside from the interest centered around the adequate description of nature, the question arises
as to the principally possible and intrinsically different but nonetheless intimately interlinked modes ol cognition. In other words, which different modes
of attaining and expressing cognition and of making statements about
"reality" should principally be taken into consideration? If we are aware of
279
this, one is easily able to avoid the pitfall of postulating the quantum
physical description as the only scientifically admissible one. On the contrary, depending on the level of "reality" under consideration, a reducibility
of higher levels to the pretended ultimate one, i.e. the quantum physical
level, may become scientifically meaningless. The increase of (phenomenological) complexity reflects itself at different levels, leading to the occurrence
of new properties, the explanation of which not only depends on prime
elements (e.g. quantum physical events) but also on new specific system
characters [3] as the consequence of the structure and all other determinants
which now play a role~irrespective of a theoretically postulated reducibility to quantum physics.
The third prohlem of some significance, which evoked a rather lively
discussion among participants, optimization, refers to the need of a certain
entity (be it a process, an efficiency, a turnover) to be optimized. However,
irrespective of the several mathematical methods we have at hand and which
we may apply routineh'-such as linear or non-linear programming or even
dynamic programming~again certain definite pre-suppositions have to be
accepted. For instance, there is PONTRIJAGIN'S optimum principle defined
in a given system of difFerential equations to maximize (or minimize) a
pay-off function with respect to certain control variables; this clearly
reveals as the essential question the introduction of a certain objective.
This objective acts as a criterion which is to be achieved optimally or in
accordance with which some functions must become optimal. For biology,
of course, it has to be postulated that the objective needs to be biologically
meaningful. The well known "bottle-neck problem", however, convinces
us of the fact that optimization depends on decisions between more or less
equal possibilities. If, for instance, in the production of automobiles steel
is becoming a critical intermediate it has to be decided whether the steel
production or the automobile production has to be promoted. In this
situation the production of one of these two has to be temporarily delayed.
The objective or the decision criterion either has to be brought to the system
from outside~as in 5\'stems optimized by man or, as is the case in organisms
capable of optimizing their own activities, we have to assume that it is an
inherent part of the organism'S organization. Incidentally, mention has to
be made as to the amount of relativity involved in applying an objective for
optimization,
Finally, we may envisage an interesting problem which is referred to
more or less clearly in several of the foregoing papers. Aside from the interest centered around the adequate description of nature, the question arises
as to the principally possible and intrinsically different but nonetheless intimately interlinked modes ol cognition. In other words, which different modes
of attaining and expressing cognition and of making statements about
"reality" should principally be taken into consideration? If we are aware of