All PH-L1s involve Action-RL1

Colour-coding in this Topic: Orange refers to THEE terminology. Blue refers to THEE-names for specific cells or frameworks. Maroon refers to the Root Level phenomena and pressures which are presumed to be intrinsic to their function.

Proposition

The function of every PH•Level-1 element has Action-RL1 as an intrinsic necessary, but often implicit, feature.

As proposed in the Review, each entity is therefore subject to a performance pressure.

What about the other Root Levels?  Closed Any of the other RLs may occur but they are not necessary, and by themselves they would not be enough to enable the function. Further explanations will be offered where there might be confusion.

Note: The elements examined below are not equally well understood.

In Willingness-PH7

Element Function: Provisional Formulation
L1-Keeping Trying To make one or many attempts even though failure is evidently possible.

PH7-L1: Trying is about a readiness to start on something, or to make repeated attempts ('new starts') even though failure is possible or likely. This start or attempt is an action of some sort. The reasons for procrastinating or avoiding are diverse, including lack of interest, laziness, nervousness or a history of failure in the matter.

Example: There are many reasons why a person may not volunteer for a project. However, if asked to take it on, person who is willing would give it a try and start doing relevant tasks.

ClosedAlternatives:

Starting trying activates other willingness-PH7 functions like believing and risking. However, there is no intrinsic need to make inquiries-RL2, institute change-RL3, use experience-RL4, communicate-RL5, or have purposes-RL6—except contextually or as part of doing.

The same argument applies to the other psychosocial pressures which may or may not be present, and may either inhibit or facilitate the performance pressure.

In Purpose-PH6

Element Function: Adjusted Formulation
L1-Pursuing a Tactical Objective To generate a given precise concrete time-targeted result which is a step to a chosen outcome.

PH6-L1: Tactical objectives demand action. They are about taking steps that are pure means to produce an agreed result which is expected to be needed to achieve a higher level goal. The tactical objective can be broken down to smaller tactical objectives—smaller in the sense of shorter time-span and fewer actions. The more limited the ability of a person, the greater the needed breakdown, until eventually the tactical objective relates to the movement of a part of the body.

Example: «Enter the lift in your building no later than Noon» as the first step to getting food for the family for the week.

ClosedAlternatives

Tactical objectives imply the presence of other purposive-PH6 functions like desired feasible outcomes. However, there is no intrinsic need to make inquiries-RL2, institute change-RL3, use experience-RL4, communicate-RL5, or be willing-RL7. When the other Root Levels (like sensing, intuiting or communicating) seem to occur, they do so as part of taking action and are not part of the tactic itself.

Performance pressure is natural, while the other psychosocial pressures are not essential. They may or may not be present and may either inhibit or facilitate the performance pressure.

In Communication-PH5

Element Function: Current Formulation
L1-Producing a Stimulus To use elemental biological means to send a message so as to ensure its receipt.

PH5-L1: Communicative stimuli generate a sensory experience in another that can be construed as meaningful. Such a stimulus can only be produced by taking some action.

Example: «Waving» or «a shout» are communicative stimuli that may have many meanings.

ClosedAlternatives

A communicative stimulus activates other PH5-communication elements: e.g. it can be interpreted as a signal, a sign, or a symbol. However, stimulating does not intrinsically involve making inquiries-RL2, instituting change-RL3, using experience-RL4, having purposes-RL6, or being willing-RL7. These other Root Levels, if they seem to occur, do so as aspects of doing.

Performance pressure is natural, while the other psychosocial pressures are not essential. They may or may not be present and, if present, may either inhibit or facilitate the performance pressure.

In Experience-PH4

Element Function: Provisional Formulation
L1-Enabling a Sensation To provide direct physical-physiological immediacy of the world.

PH4-L1: Sensing involves some discrete biological change in oneself that is taken to correspond to a physical reality. From the perspective of the will and use of experience to gauge and evaluate, having the relevant or appropriate sensation depends on some action that ensures sufficient attention.

Philosophers refer to "qualia" as sensations that are just there as part of consciousness and might argue that if you are bumped them you have a sensation without taking action. But having a sensation forced on you is not the same as actively sensing. Sensory deprivation experiments typically use a flotation chamber designed to reduce the possibility of any bodily movement.

Example: Actively sensing «colour» involves looking; sensing «touch» involves touching or moving so as to be touched; sensing «sound» involves stiffening and orienting the body.

ClosedAlternatives

As well as activating or implying other PH4-experience elements, sensing must involve action of some sort. However, sensing can occur without any inquiring-RL2, changing-RL3, communicating-RL5, owning purposes-RL6, or being willing-RL7.

Performance pressure is natural, while the other psychosocial pressures are not essential. They may or may not be present and, if present, may either inhibit or facilitate the performance pressure.

In Change-PH3

Element Function: Provisional Formulation
L1-Introducing a Variation To provide an alteration that potentially enables a state.

PH3-L1: Varying involves taking action to change the state of affairs in some minor way. Whether it enforces the status quo or leads to a difference, you cannot vary a state without doing something to ensure a difference of some sort.

Example: You vary your diet by buying and cooking different foods. You vary your work day by taking up different tasks.

ClosedAlternatives

Variation may activate other PH3-change elements and being a means is naturally driven by higher levels. However, it does not intrinsically involve making inquiries-RL2, using experiences-RL4, communicating-RL5, having purposes-RL6, or being willing-RL7. So the other Root Levels, if they occur, are only supportive.

Performance pressure is natural, while the other psychosocial pressures are not essential. They may or may not be present and, if present, may either inhibit or facilitate the performance pressure.

In Inquiry-PH2

Element Function: Provisional Formulation
L1-Collecting the Data To collect sense-data in a way that permits its later processing.

PH2-L1: Data, being required to be collected, invariably involves personal, mechanical or electronic action.  The specific data will vary according to the aim of the inquiry, the context and object of study. Sense-based data are obtained by focusing attention on some specific thing, but just sensing is not enough for inquiry. You may need to tick a box, to have a pen record changes, to hook up a digital counter, to take notes &c. That activity is typically personal and private: it lends itself to bias and falsification.

Example: Getting data on bird flights involves positioning yourself, putting the appropriate equipment in place, and making recordings manually or via technology.

ClosedAlternatives

Dataactivates other PH2-inquiry elements. Collection might appear to intrinsically involve experiencing because it follows a sensory interaction with some object or process. However, this sensory interaction cannot be categorized as inquiryany more than the purpose behind the interaction can be. Deliberate sensory interactions occur all the time for a variety of reasons, but data only occurs if there is deliberate collection as part of inquiring.

Data does not appear to intrinsically involve instituting changes-RL3, using experiencing-RL4, communicating-RL5, having purposes-RL6, or being willing-RL7. So the other Root Levels are prior or subsequent, occurring as part of the inquiry endeavour.

Performance pressure is natural, while the other psychosocial pressures are not essential. They may or may not be present and, if present, may either inhibit or facilitate the performance pressure.

In Action-PH1

Element Function: Provisional Formulation
L1-Making a Movement To use the body's nervous and/or musculature system voluntarily.

PH1-L1: Moving usually involves action through muscular exertion, but also by nervous impulses e.g. when electrical pick-up enables thoughts to control a mouse pointer. It seems to be the most fundamental part of doing, and the basic means for action. That is probably why, when we want action in general, we say "get a move on" or "get moving"—rather than referring to one of the other levels as we might if we wished to be specific.

Example: Turning on the light requires that you move your hand to operate the switch.

ClosedAlternatives

Moving is the most basic part of PH1-doing something. Bodily movement can occur without any inquiring-L2, changing-RL3, experiencing-RL4, communicating-RL5, having purposes-RL6, or being willing-RL7. So the other Root Levels, if they occur, are only supportive or part of a contextual endeavour. Slavery epitomized unwilling movement.

Performance pressure is natural, while the other psychosocial pressures are not essential. They may or may not be present and, if present, may either inhibit or facilitate the performance pressure

Initially posted: 26-Jul-2013. Last amended 11-Jan-2023.