From: Sam Norton (elizaphanian@kohath.wanadoo.co.uk)
Date: Sat Nov 20 2004 - 15:56:32 GMT
Hi Platt, all,
> I think you guys are on to something important, but as yet I haven't been
> able to flesh it out as the basis for a viable social level morality.
> I hope others will focus their considerable brainpower (or response to DQ
> power) on explaining how an "individual quality decision" moral base might
> possibly overcome "do your own thing" and "feel good" objections, just for
> starters.
Surely the answer is the conflict between the levels that Pirsig sees as the great drama of the
twentieth century. That is, the establishment of social level patterns (eg human rights legislation,
democracy, free trade) which preserves the potential of individual choices to pursue higher level
Quality and thereby generate higher level social Quality in their wake. There's lots of room for
argument there about boundaries and balance, but I think RMP is fairly clear on the general
direction (however much I might think there is theoretical hole in his account of this). So what we
need is to foster the framework which enhances the 'room for choice' at the individual level, whilst
safeguarding that framework against any developments which would undermine that maximisation of
choice. (I think it was Popper who said that the only thing that cannot be tolerated is intolerance,
ie to preserve a generally tolerant system, you have to be intolerant of those who would destroy it.
Something the Dutch are working through at the moment - maybe Wim could comment on that.)
I'm not sure that RMP would be opposed to 'do your own thing' though. I think he would want to
ensure that there was a 'threshold' of maturity or education before the free choices were accepted,
but if an adult in full possession of their faculties and the facts of the matter chooses to pursue
a course of action which society disapproves of, but which doesn't directly harm others (eg smoking
marijuana), then I think this is a fundamental right and achievement which needs to be safeguarded.
It was the guiding spirit behind the US constitution, so far as I understand it, and the ways in
which it is being undercut in recent years is very worrying. So it seems to me anyhow.
Cheers
Sam
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