From: ant.mcwatt@ntlworld.com
Date: Thu Aug 12 2004 - 18:33:12 BST
Dear all,
Just to let anyone interested that the viva went pretty well on Tuesday though I have yet to hear from the University concerning a final decision in regards of being awarded a PhD.
In the meantime, I’d just like to thank everyone on this Board for their usually insightful debates in regard to the MOQ. I think these discussions since 1997 have certainly helped in sharpening my own ideas in regards to Pirsig's work.
Anyway, I thought you might be interested in the type of questions asked in the context of an MOQ PhD viva so (before I forget them!) I paste some of the questions posed by my examiners below. I’ll forward my answers later on (probably at the end of next week) to give other people an opportunity to discuss them.
Best wishes,
Anthony.
P.S. I was speaking to Doug Renselle (one of the original founders of MOQ Discuss) recently. He is busy as ever with his Quantonics site and sends his best regards to everyone.
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1. Is Quality more similar to:
a. Whitehead's Process Philosophy,
b. the Tao, or;
c. Plotinus' One?
2.a. There are at least seven terms for Quality in your thesis (e.g. Value, harmony, excellence) how can they all be the same thing? How does, for example, a table relate to these?
b. What is the observer and its relation to the table in terms of Quality?
3. If you kill the self then isn’t this a quick return to the Dynamic and therefore a moral action in Pirsig’s MOQ?
4.a. How does an increase of complexity lead to harmony?
b. How can a Schonenberg Concert which is purposively disharmonic fit into this paradigm?
5.a. How does the MOQ improve on James’ pragmatism? How does this relate to the Nazi Holocaust?
5.b. How does this issue relate to the treatment of animals like pigs by human beings?
6. Your thesis suggests that the MOQ states that we should be moral essentially for future generations’ sake rather than being awarded an afterlife or reincarnation. In this regard, what you would you say to someone who said that they didn't care about future generations?
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