LS Intellect as Rationality as SOM


Platt Holden (pholden@worldnet.att.net)
Wed, 21 Jan 1998 19:20:13 +0100


Hi Bo,

First. let me say that your MoQ-based analysis of the eugenics issue was a
classic! If anyone has wondered how to apply the MoQ to practical moral
questions in "the world of everyday affairs," your letter shows the way.
It's a model that I'll follow whenever challenged by social/moral
conundrums.

Regarding the rationality question, my concern was that in using
rationalism alone as a synonym for the intellectual level empiricism got
left out. In your mind, rationalism includes empiricism. In my mind, not
so. Perhaps the following quote from Whitehead reveals the underpinning of
my view:

"It is a great mistake to conceive this historical revolt (of science) as
an appeal to reason. On the contrary, it was through and through an
anti-intellectual movement. It was a return to the contemplation of brute
fact, and it was based on a recoil from the inflexible rationality of
medieval thought."

So I associate rationalism with the Inquisition and other intellectual
edifices built on self-serving sands. Logical positivism, on the other
hand, is closer to what I see as the prevailing intellectual level. When
you describe this level as "S0M/Rationality/Science" our disagreement
vanishes.

As for the MoQ representing a new esthetic level growing out of intellect,
I'm still of that mind and am trying to build a persuasive case for it. A
key may be from Pirsig's letter to Anthony wherein he states, "It is
important to keep all concepts out of Dynamic Quality. Concepts are always
static." Just how that fits in I'm not sure, but I suspect it's important.
Any help you can offer would be much appreciated.

Best,

Platt

Catch 30. The premise of science that only premises that can be empirically
verified are true cannot be empirically verified.

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