Hi Squad:
Subject to comments from the LS, here’s the way I see the relationship of
brain, mind and intellect as presented in the MoQ.
The brain is a biological pattern consisting of nerve tissue and chemicals
that mysteriously creates an organism’s awareness of it's environment.
The brain of man extends awareness to include himself.
Mind in the MoQ is more of a puzzle. Pirsig seems to use the word
interchangeably with intellect. He calls mind a “separate evolutionary level
of static patterns of value.” Mind also consists of mental patterns as in
“Mental patterns did not originate out of inorganic nature.” And mind
does the thinking as in “… what a mind thinks is as dominated by social
patterns as …” (All quotes from Chapter 12 of Lila.) I think Pirsig
considers mind to be the same as intellect, but uses the term intellect
more often in order to make a clear distinction between the MoQ and
SOM.
If mental patterns(mind) and intellectual patterns (intellect) are the same,
what do they do? First, they are patterns that can recognize other
patterns. Second, they are patterns which can dominate and control
social, biological and inorganic patterns. Third, they are patterns that can
judge the value of other patterns using various criteria. Finally, they are
patterns with the capacity (rarely used) to see patterns which have never
been seen before. In short, intellect (mind) is a pattern-recognizing,
pattern-creating force that employs the medium of language, numbers
and symbols to carry out its purpose which is basically to relate
perceptions into patterns of meaning so one can act to enhance life.
What about thinking? Is thought an intellectual pattern? I see no reason
to say otherwise. But there are different kinds of thinking.
Our spontaneous and favorite kind of thinking allows ideas to take their
own course without any particular direction except as determined by our
hopes, fears, desires, frustrations, loves, hates and resentments of the
moment, all pretty much centered around our beloved ego. This type of
thinking, called reverie, goes on most of the time and is generally of low
quality.
Reveries are interrupted by the second kind of thinking which makes
everyday practical decisions such as whether to buy Romaine or iceberg
lettuce, to wear black or brown shoes, or to reprimand or let pass the
lateness of a subordinate. Often such thinking is done instinctively or
impulsively, but when weighed against alternatives becomes thought of
medium quality.
A third kind of thinking comes into play when our beliefs are challenged.
Our ideas are as dear to us as our skins, and, when threatened, we leap
to defend them. Such thinking consists primarily in finding arguments for
going on believing as we already do and is usually of low to medium
quality. When argument (rationalization) fails to dissuade a challenger,
the next step is to call him names. In fact, ideas about social morals are
rarely put forth rationally. Emotional outbursts and name calling are the
preferred methods, as Rigel illustrated. Definitely low quality.
In the MoQ a high quality intellectual pattern is one that establishes truth
based on "logical consistency, agreement with experience and economy
of explanation." In other words, Pirsig wholeheartedly approves of the
scientific thought process. His argument is not with the methodology but
with the assumptions and intellectual framework used by science, namely
that 1) the world is divided into mind and matter, subjects and objects and
2) all dependable truth comes from measurements. These assumptions
appear to work just fine in the realms of inorganic and biological patterns
(with the possible exception of quantum mechanics), but they have
nothing to offer in realm of values, morals and quality.
Pirsig uses standard scientific reasoning to build his MoQ. But his
starting assumptions and intellectual framework are different. For him the
world is not divided into subjects and objects but into Dynamic and Static
Quality. And his intellectual framework is not "measurement" of an
objective world independent of man but "logical fit" to a world presumed to
consist of four evolutionary static patterns of value plus DQ in which man,
as trustee of the intellectual level, is indispensable.
Simultaneously surrounding and within all levels in Pirsig’s architecture
stands Dynamic Quality itself. To quote Alfred N. Whitehead, "it is
something which is real, and yet waiting to be realized; something which
is a remote possibility, and yet the greatest of present facts; something
that gives meaning to all that passes, and yet eludes apprehension;
something whose possession is the final good, and yet is beyond all
reach; something which is the ultimate ideal, and the hopeless quest."
Towards that "something" our great artists struggle to see and capture a
glimpse.
That the MoQ takes this and other aspects of experience into account
makes it a better worldview than the one championed by the natural
sciences whose explanations of life stop at the body. “The mind is what
the brain does” they say, offering an explanation bereft of meaning.
Those of us on the Lila Squad may bicker, but I dare say none of us are
satisfied with answers like that.
Platt
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