Hi all,
I had a thought and it start's off a new thread. Pirsig created in Lila a map which divides up Reality in 4 levels. Why? By this I mean: why divide things only up in 4 levels and what was his motivation behind this map?
Pirsig says that each level evolves out of the other. But if we check out the evolution of everything starting from the Big Bang we get stuck on the 4th level evolving out of the 3rd. Society came before any human being had a mind? [Which is what I believe (and I can cite Pirsig, and I have in earlier posts, to back this up) the 4th level "intellect" is all about.] I believe that from the point of view of evolution the 3rd and 4th level came into existence at the same time.
Then there is the countless arguments about should there be other levels, quantum level before inorganic, and there are other ideas for levels that have been put forth. Then there is the "why is the 3rd level "Social" restricted to humans only?" questions.
I think all of this comes out of forgetting (?) or not focusing on the reason behind the map that Pirsig presents in Lila. Lila is all about Ethics! Lila lays out a metaphysics of Quality for the purpose to bring into focus morality and ethics. From the perspective of ethics it makes perfect sense to focus on solely human beings. We are the ones having to make the ethical choices. Hence the restriction of the 3rd level to solely humans. From the perspective of ethics, the 4 level, the individual mind does "evolve" out of society. Each and everyone of us were socialized by a culture! We were raised within a societies mores and values. We thus "evolved" from our society!
The importance of his map was to point out the ethical qualities inherent from saying that everything comes out of Quality. From this perspective all we really need is 4 levels. Ethical choices are and need to be made by considering those 4 groups and in the order that he presents them.
The map Pirsig gives us in Lila is not a map of the evolution of all matter and life in the universe. The map in Lila is not answering how we come to know and acquire knowledge about reality. The map in Lila is not about the interaction of matter and energy from the fields of chemistry, biology, ecological science, etc. If that was Pirsig's focus he would have made a different map! At least that is what I am suggesting.
Now, maybe he didn't realize that the map he made in Lila was to be used solely for ethical discussions and was not meant to be used in other considerations. Perhaps this was not a conscious act by Pirsig. Or perhaps it was.
Anyway. The 4 levels as a map of ethics makes sense. Perfect, simple, elegant sense. And that is how it can be used.
Which leaves up free to make up a new map when we are considering something other than ethics.
Okay everyone : what do you think? I am crazy or have I stumbled on to something that does make sense?
Waiting for response,
Gary
Gary Jaron: "People shape, and are shaped by, Ideas."
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