Re: LS March 1999 Program Topic

From: Keith A. Gillette (keith.gillette@usa.net)
Date: Wed Feb 24 1999 - 01:32:31 GMT


At 6:20 PM -0800 2/22/1999, Kevin Sanchez wrote:
>: "With the Metaphysics of Quality, Pirsig proposes a 'Copernican Revolution'
>: in our understanding of reality, placing undefined value at the center and
>: dividing it into static and Dynamic Quality. How are those of us still
>: mired in a subject-object view of the world to wrap our minds around this
>: transformation? Is this static-dynamic split merely an epistemic
>: convenience that we make arbitrarily or is it an ontological reality,
>: transcending our thoughts and intellectual description of it?"
>
>This questions seems to be whether Pirsig meant what he said or not.
>Although a good question for Pirsig to ask himself, I think we must
>conclude Pirsig didn't merely believe in quality because it was convient,
>but because he really believed.

Just a clarification on my proposal: The question I intended to ask was not
whether Pirsig meant what he wrote nor whether he believed in undefined
Quality. Rather, it's whether, as Jeff Travis has already answered in his
vote, we are to take the static/Dynamic split in that undefined Quality as
"just an analogy" or whether it's an independently existing facet of
reality.

The answer to this question informs our understanding of everything that's
built upon the static/Dynamic split--the status of the four levels, the
nature of truth, blah, blah, blah. I think this is an interesting question
because it ties you up in all kinds of knots when you try to answer it.
When you say the static/Dynamic split is ontological, you have to step back
and ask whether isn't it really just an idea that I have that I believe?
When you say it's just an idea, then when isn't undefined quality just an
idea, too?

Well, I promise to say no more until all the votes are in. My only purpose
was to clarify the intent of my proposal. Keeping weighing in with your
suggestions and votes!

Thanks,
Keith

______________________________________________________________________
Keith A. Gillette <http://detling.dorm.org/gillette/>

MOQ Online - http://www.moq.org



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