Goudsblom theory

Remi Cote 030296.1309EST

Johan Gousblom wrote "Fire and civilisation"(1992:AllenLanePenguinPress).
In this book he described how man was domesticated by fire.

It is interesting. Prior to usage of fire, we were chimp in rainforest.
then came the desertification of eastern Africa, with more and more
savana. It became an advantage to move on two feet, because it is four
time less energy consuming to walk on two feet than to walk on four arm
like the chimp do. So we walk from one bunch of tree to another, an then
homo-erectus encounter the savana fire. We first spontefact with it, it
was probably like a game, then we use it as a tool.

That tool increase the level of intraspecies competition. And that tool
forces or pressure us do develop more and more (exponentialy) technique
and stategy like language, to survive the fierce competition.

Fire trigger the onset of technology. It is an interesting theory.

You can juxtapose, make a link with Powers theory. He state that living
organism spontefat, or retrofact over environement. So when you look
at the Goudsblomian theory of evolution of mankink with Powerian notion
of retrofaction what do you see?

You see a being that developped a tool that deprived him of retrofaction
bound. Because technology increase pressure and difficulty for the
species. A world with fire became harder to adapt to, more difficult to
adapt to.

So here are my question:

1) Can you place retrofaction bound on a continuum? For a same individual
can there be situation in wich he has more Powerian control, than in other?
If yes, is a human who has more Powerian control is more healthy, more
happy, more adapted?

2) What are the quality of a good Powerian control? Can they be bad or
else, if they are not good they don't exist at all? All or none kind of
thing?

3) Does a world with technology represent more frustration for retrofaction
system, or more possibility of frustration, because the course of or live
depend on so much more thing that are out of Powerian control?
In other word, as living Powerian control system, we can use tool to achieve
goal. Can we adapt to tool? Or are we bound to fell coercion from it?

4) Is there a way to escape from the obsession to control thing and destiny?
More precisely, can we stop trying to retrofact?

Any comment would help me. You can direct me to specific contend of book
if you want.

Remi

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