Science, Strategy and War The Strategic Theory of ... - Boekje Pienter

So Boyd discerns within the adversary system a physical, a mental and a moral dimension.Subsequently, isolation can occur - or be aimed for - in these different dimensions: ‘Physicalisolation occurs when we fail to gain support in the form of matter-energy-information fromothers outside ourselves. Mental isolation occurs when we fail to discern, perceive, or makesense out of what’s going on around ourselves. Moral isolation occurs when we fail to abideby codes of conduct or standards of behavior in a manner deemed acceptable or essential byothers outside ourselves’ 60 .Interaction ensures the opposite: ‘Physical interaction occurs when we freelyexchange matter-energy-information with others outside ourselves. Mental interaction occurswhen we generate images or impressions that match up with the events or happenings thatunfold around ourselves. Moral interaction occurs when we live by the code of conduct orstandards of behavior that we profess, and others expect us, to uphold’ 61 .The question then becomes how to isolate the opponent while maintaininginteraction oneself: ‘How do we physically isolate our adversaries yet interact with othersoutside ourselves? How do we mentally isolate our adversaries yet keep in touch henceinteract with unfolding events? How do we morally isolate our adversaries yet maintain thetrust/confidence of others thereby interact with them?’ 62 But before Boyd arrives at thesequestions, let alone the answers, Boyd takes a pause and plays the familiar game of question,illumination, suggestion and question again. He connects this discussion with several themesand insights from the previous presentations, even from the first pages of Patterns of Conflictthat deal with air-to-air combat and the essay Destruction and Creation. This way the audienceitself discovers the answers through applying the conceptual framework Boyd hadconstructed up to this point, or at least internalizes the issues and way of thinking instead ofmerely listening to the solution. It is after all A Discourse. So Boyd asks 63 : ‘how do we play tothis theme and exploit these ideas?’HintsRecall how we mentally constructed a snowmobile.Remember how we looked at ideas in mathematical logic, physics, thermodynamics,biology, psychology, anthropology, and conflict to surface a central theme.Remember our whole approach has been one of pulling things apart and putting themback together until something new and different is created.Illuminating example 64? - What does the Second Law of Thermodynamics say - ?All natural processes generate entropy.? - What did Heisenberg say - ?One cannot simultaneously fix or determine preciselythe momentum and position of a particle.? -What did Gödel say -?One cannot determine the consistency of a system within itself60 Ibid, p.3661 Ibid, p.37.62 Ibid, p.46.63 Ibid, p.38.64 Ibid, p.39.252