From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Fri Nov 18 2005 - 15:51:31 GMT
Hi All: (Bo, Arlo, Scott mentioned)
Scott:
> > So do you claim that Pirsig used something other than intellect to
> > come up with the MOQ? Or must we treat the MOQ as revelation?
Bo:
> As said before, even if the MOQ is no level it shows some
> level traits in it relationship with intellect. So your question
> pertains to the general mystery what makes ANY level escape its
> parent level? "Objectively" (intellectually) seen it's plain
> impossible, but as reality shows (levels or not) life made it out of
> matter so Pirsig merely postulates a relentless dynamic tug.
> Phaedrus' first quality notion was an all-intellectual pattern, but it was
> caught by the dynamic tug and carried forward. So Pirsig definitely used
> something more than intellect or - better - something more used Pirsig.
It's been awhile coming, but Bo has brought us to the crux of the matter--
naturalism vs.spiritualism. Although Pirsig vehemently denies any
connection between his metaphysics and the divine, the creative power of
DQ--an indefinable, mysterious force -- resides at the heart of the MOQ.
In an earlier post, Bo referred again to what I and Arlo long ago agreed
to in spite of of our political differences, namely, that philosophy is
about revealing underlying premises. As if on cue, Bo opined that the
subject/object premise delineates the intellectual level, that "gods
behind everything" premise defines the social level. Following Bo's focus,
one sees that the other Quality levels are framed by other, distinct
premises. (Inorganic level -- particles, biological level -- DNA)
Standing above all levels is the premise of an indefinable "Quality"
A closer examination of the premises of the lower levels reveals their
utter inability to show cause for emergence of the higher ones. For
instance, at the inorganic level the hidden premise is from nothing arises
everything. At the biological level the buried premise is non-life
produces life. Other sequestered premises at these "naturalistic"
(scientific) levels are: from randomness comes fine-tuning, from chaos
emerges information, from unconciousness appears consciousness, from no-
reason springs reason. In other words, one damn miracle after another!
So when Bo writes to Scott, "Your question pertains to the general mystery
what makes ANY level escape its parent level" he is addressing the
question every atheist must ask: "How do I explain the emergence of one
level from another without positing, as Pirsig does, a "dynamic tug?"
Once you admit to some mysterious force pulling rabbits out of hats,
you're into the realm of the spiritual no matter what you call it -- DQ,
elan vital, prana, psychism, God -- whatever. And once your into that
realm, you're into discovering who you are because, as Bo pointed out,
"Pirsig used something more than intellect or - better - something more
used Pirsig."
I believe that "something more" is using us now, drawing us -- often in
spite of stubborn static selves and our load of cliche cultural garbage --
toward betterness. For me, Beauty -- another facet of the divine --
illuminates the way.
Best,
Platt
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