Dear Platt,
Although I wasn't specifically addressed in this query, please allow me the
opportunity to respond.
Unfortunately, Pirsig's statement is one that deals with an abstraction of
reality, not reality. Often a doctor has two patients (i.e. a delivery
during which the mother-to-be is experiencing potentially life threatening
difficulties). In this situation, the doctor may have to chose between two
patients: (1) the mother; (2) the child. Then the "absolute truth" is not so
readily agreed upon. Different people will make different choices, all of
which are equally right and moral. In the living Universe, it is not always
a question of patient vs.disease.
The Bard
----- Original Message -----
From: Platt Holden <pholden@sc.rr.com>
To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2002 6:28 PM
Subject: Re: MD Pirsig Strikes Again
> Hi Rick, Erin:
>
> I wonder what you guys have to say about the following quote from LILA:
>
> "But what's not so obvious is that, given a value-centered Metaphysics
> of Quality, it is absolutely, scientifically moral for a doctor to prefer
the
> patient. This is not just an arbitrary social convention that should apply
> to some doctors but not to all doctors, or to some cultures but not all
> cultures. It's true for all people at all times, now and forever, a moral
> pattern of reality as real as H20. We're at last dealing with morals on
> the basis of reason."
>
> Is this truth absolute? Or does "all people at all times, now and forever"
> mean "some people, sometimes, maybe"?
>
> Is this another case where Pirsig misspoke himself? Or, having
> admitted to this exception, negates the claim that the MOQ does not
> insist on a single exclusive truth?
>
> Platt
>
>
>
>
>
>
> MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
> Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
> MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
>
> To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
> http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
>
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Aug 17 2002 - 16:01:52 BST