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What this rather obtusely stated need really translates into is a requirement that the transcendent personal device have a complete, well defined model of the external world in which it and its bearer exist. Moreover, it must have adequate visibility into this world via is sensori-motor translation abilities, have adequate processing capacity and have adequate short and long term memory so as to be able to proactively address its interactions with that external world. The transcendent personal device needs to be able to recognize and function in at least two distinctive modes: a mode in which it defines policy or policy preferences and a mode in which those preferences are actually applied. Manipulation of rules while they’re in use is a rather tricky business; to do so effectively is an activity of some creativity. From a technical perspective, this translates into a need for the general social ecosystem ontology that we have alluded to at various points within this book. When we have talked about the ability to reason about policy, it has been in direct preparation to support this need of self-actualization on the part of the transcendent personal device.

In concluding our consideration of the need of self-actualization on the part of the transcendent personal device, we must consider the means of this reasoning facility. We noted at the very beginning of Chapter 2 the concerns voiced by Gerald Edelman regarding whether the expression of degeneracy was a facility of which computers in general are capable. During the course of this book we have observed the means of establishing trust and from this basis to engage in interactions with some anticipation of a predicted outcome. In considering mathematical contexts, we have noted two distinct such mechanisms: reductio ad absurdum, which we relate to causality, and inductive reasoning, which we relate to process. Through reductio ad absurdum, we establish a hypothetical situation counter to our assumption of trust. If we conclude that this hypothetical situation is inherently false (absurd), then we assume confirmation of the validity of our original assumption and our causality basis is reinforced. Alternatively, we establish trust through induction by assuming that the result of a process is true as long as the same process is repeated. We suggest that either approach, the capability to establish causes and compute their consequences or to establish processes and assume their repeatability, can be derived from deterministic algorithms if we have a reference ontology from which to draw causes and processes and a mechanism to effect this drawing, which is what metaphors are for. The interpretation of metaphors is sensitive to the context of an interaction. Thus, we suggest that there are ample opportunities to arrive at specific comparable interaction outcomes through a variety of computational pathways. This seems fully consistent with the concept of degeneracy. Hence, the facility of degeneracy can be viewed as a property of the transcendent personal device necessary to meet the need of self-actualization of both the device and its bearer.

Aesthetic Needs

Central to the formation of a trust infrastructure is the altered state of consciousness that we have discussed at various points during the course of this book. It is the manipulation of this state that lies at heart of the aesthetic facilities of the human mind. Often presented as a search for, or a sense of beauty derived from emotion and sensation, we suggest that with respect to the needs hierarchy, the concept of aesthetics also encompasses the establishment of context through which internal interpretation and external communication occurs. This of course then establishes the basis of interactions. Aesthetics is concerned with the internal mechanisms of trust establishment and in the external mechanisms of trust conveyance. It seems significant that aesthetic needs are presented quite high within the hierarchy, essentially forming the direct foundation for self-actualization and transcendence. Thus, aesthetics encompasses both emotional assessment and response to sensory stimuli as well as cognitive assessment and response. In her book Homo

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