Addition to e-mail discussion between Kirby Urner and Trevor Blake on 29/30 May 1998.

Level 1/Expediency/protostatic No structure. Authority based on doing the job satisfactorily or forcing others to do it. Credentials by word of mouth only.

Level 2/Principle/epistatic Hierarchy exists in society. Authority within established hierarchy, with experience, with or without competence. Credentials based on written confirmation from established authorities.

Level 3/Precision/parastatic Detailed knowledge of hierarchy necessary. Authority within established hierarchy, with experience and with competence established by qualifications tested in detail at level 3 and accepted by level 2.

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Once you move past the ideological "centre" you find you have to ask "Authority/Credentials for what purpose?" If you want a peson or organisation to carry out an action for which levels 2 or 3 are sufficient then standard educational qualifications are as good as anything else but the question will be asked "what are you using these skills and qualifications for?". For example, you have skills in building/maintaining/driving motor vehicles. Do you use them to: help soldiers to move around and suppress revolts; help big business to spray pesticides over cash crops and move crops away from poor areas towards rich areas; help charities to move food aid or low tech equipment to poor areas; help insurgents to fight military dictatorships.

It is not your skill at level 3, agreed at level 2, which matters. It is your intentions as expressed in statements appropriate to levels 4,5,6 and your actions.

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Level 4/Reform/protodynamic You cannot get qualifications in level 4 activity at any age. You must do things to promote equality and try to alter society to give more people more opprtunity to free themselves from outside authority. It is possible to do this at any age from about 10 (?) onward. At a low age it will be thought generally that you are inexperienced but trying hard and also liable to change as you get older. From 20 to 40 you build up experience and make your reputation secure as a reformer. After 40 you are more at risk of regressing to a more conservative position and may drop out of level 4 activities. For subsequent activities you will be satisfied with experience and authority using level 2/3 arguments.

Level 5/Revolution/epidynamic As for level 4 but you must annoy more people more often and promote "revolution" rather than reform. You must decry the value of qualifications from levels 2/3 because they were produced by reactionary power structures who only wanted a docile trained workforce. Create your own credentials by attacking the power structure and trying to involve more people in doing so. Authority comes from the collective opinion of a social abstraction (e.g. the working class.) However, if you need brain surgery you will expect the best qualified practitioner (level 3) supplied free of charge and you will argue that it is only the selfish actions of the hierarchy (level 2) which stop you and everyone else in the downtrodden majority getting it and, also, reformers (level 4) are distracting the masses from the real problem and delaying the revolution. What's more.....zzzzzzz.......[general anaesthetic takes effect].

Level 6/Repudiation/paradynamic As for levels 4 and 5 but you must attack any argument from level 5 which appear to be setting up alternative power structures even if intended to be temporary. No one can be trusted if they try to exert authority. Credentials are verbal on the basis that the named person has never tried to set themself up as having any authority but is known to have argued that only the collective unit has authority. In other words personal authority rests in arguing indefinitely that you have no personal authority. It is paradoxical but don't bother about that. All these positions are paradoxical.

Level 7/systematic ideology/metadynamic Acceptance of all levels 1-6. Credentials for anything sought on the basis that they should match the ideo-level of the intended action. (e.g. Medical/scientific action requires credentials from levels 2/3.) No personal metadynamic credentials exist (as for level 6). Authority is delocalised as in the postmodernist style of argument. There is no single consistent theory/argument for organising human society or personal activity so authority is always limited for particular activities and can be disputed at the same or other ideo-levels.