Comments on Bolles -Reply

[Hans Blom, 950918]

(Bruce Abbott (950915.2125 EST))

Anyone looking into e. coli's system for the physical representat-
ions of these entities is not going to find them there; logically,
the system merely acts AS IF they are. Perhaps that is the import-
ant thing.

Bruce, that has always been my point of view as well. There is a
tendency among control engineers -- and not them only -- to reify
control, as in sayings like "control is a fact". No, control isn't a
THING. It is a way of looking at things. A perspective, very useful
sometimes, confusing maybe at other times. The AS IF aspect of
control should always be kept in mind, I think. Viewing an organism
as a control system MODELS the organism, which activity creates the
AS IF. Equating the model with the real thing is like confusing the
map and the territory.

Greetings,

Hans