From: Matt the Enraged Endorphin (mpkundert@students.wisc.edu)
Date: Tue Apr 15 2003 - 18:11:31 BST
Steve,
Steve said:
I think I understand what you are saying. This fits in with your "stop
playing metaphysics" thing. As I see it, you are exchanging words for
reality, but from your perspective, you're just not making a distinction
between the two because that would be "playing metaphysics." Am I right?
Matt:
I think that's pretty much right.
Steve said:
Is this decision to not make a distinction between words and reality done
for the purposes of moving conversations along, or is it a hat your try to
wear all the time to help you cope with reality?
Matt:
I think its done for both purposes, or at least I don't see the difference
between the two. Pragmatists like Rorty do want to move on to more
interesting discussions, but they are also banking on the fact that these
new conversations will be more likely to help us cope.
Steve said:
Since Pirsig considers himself "a Zen person," it is doubtful to me that he
would see "being trapped in words" as anything other than a corruption of
experience.
Matt:
Ah, but see your reading Pirsig as buying into metaphysics, or rather, as
buying into language as a medium between us and reality. I think Pirsig
sometimes makes motions towards the pragmatist misreading I've done, but I
would still agree that Pirsig may still be, as I would put it, caught in an
outdated conversation.
Matt
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