[From Rick Marken (931220.1500)]
Osmo Eerola (931220.0830 GMT) --
Why the hostility to PCT. Osmo? I'm really curious. I mean, PCT is
not a theory of how to wipe out Finland or how to put control engineers
on the unemployment rolls. In fact, it's kind of a nice little theory --
that views organisms as autonoumous, purposive systems that control
their own perceptual experience (as best as they can) relative to
their own, secularly adjustable specifications for that experience.
PCT directs the attention of behavioral scientists toward the variables
controlled by organisms and away from a preoccupation with the
variables that supposedly control organisms. So why does PCT upset
you so much, Osmo?
Nearly everything you've said about PCT in your posts is incorrect.
Do you care? Do you know what is wrong with what you said? Bill
Powers pointed out most of the gross errors; by continuing to
make these demonstrably erroneous claims you are acting like someone
with a prejudice against PCT. Is someone saying bad things about PCT
over there in Finland? Do you think PCT advocates the sacrifice of
Finnish babies? Do you think PCTers are clannish? Is there a book
called "The Protocols of the Elders of PCT" circulating around up
there?
I'm really interested in finding out what you dislike about PCT.
Why do you seem to have no interest in trying to understand PCT?
I'm used to seeing this kind of prejudice in the behavioral sciences;
I understand it because I am trained in research psychology and I
know what understanding PCT would mean for that field -- revolution,
in the most mundane sense; all the textbooks would become useless,
most of the research results would become irrelevant, one's entire
approach to doing behavioral science would have to be changed. I can
understand why behavioral scientists want to ignore, misunderstand,
or attribute silly things to PCT.
But I am completely puzzled by the response of control engineers to
PCT. PCT won't revolutionize control engineering or control theory.
PCT is BASED ON control theory. PCT just deals with HOW control theory
is applied to the behavior of living systems. So what's the problem
with PCT, Osmo? Inquiring minds want to know.
Best
Rick