Re: MD What makes an idea dangerous?

From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Tue Nov 04 2003 - 19:51:06 GMT

  • Next message: David MOREY: "Re: MD Two theories of truth"

    Hi Mark,

    > In a message dated 11/4/03 2:36:21 PM GMT Standard Time,
    > writes:

    > > I agree this is NOT right. One of the few times I disagree with
    > > Pirsig. Obviously bugs don't think. Aware, yes. But thoughtful, no. No
    > > ability to symbolize, to abstract.
     
    Mark,
    > If you read what Pirsig is saying you do not disagree with him!

    > PIRSIG:
    > I think the same happens to the term, "intellectual," when one
    > extends it much before the Ancient Greeks.* If one extends
    > the term intellectual to include primitive cultures just because they
    > are thinking about things, why stop there?

    I disagree with Pirsig and apologize for not making myself clear. Over
    Pirsig's objection, I claim the term intellectual (ability to
    symbolize, to abstract) CAN be extended to include primitive cultures.
    Otherwise, I can't see how we can distinguish our human ancestors from
    apes.

    I extend 'thinking' to primitive cultures because the evidence shows
    they thought about things in an abstract way, planned ahead, imagined
    future consequences, buried their dead, etc.,etc. Animals can't do
    those sorts of things in a deliberate, structured way, nor can they
    paint symbols on cave walls. :-)

    Again, in citing the Ancient Greeks, Pirsig defines intellect as the
    dominance of an intellectual elite at that time. Later that dominance
    declined and during the Dark Ages it was buried completely. I think the
    legitimate dominance of intellect (and the beginning of the
    intellectual level) occurred at the beginning of the 20th century when
    the intelligentsia started to think they could run society and really
    botched things up, like the Marxists in communist Russia and New Deal
    democrats in the U.S.

    But, that's another story for another day. :-)

    Platt

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