Hi Folks
In accordance with the Steering Committee's policy of providing members with the best
possible environment within which to discuss the Metaphysics of Quality and related
subjects, we would like to make a change to the system of voting which has been used until
now.
Previously votes have been cast by members and forwarded to the list as they come in.
This has appeared to produce a skewing in favour of the earliest cast votes - i.e. votes cast
early appear to disproportionately influence later voting.
In order to remedy this, what is proposed is that votes are not forwarded to the list as they
come in, but are gathered together between the time of the initial CALL FOR VOTES (this
post) and the time of final voting (3 days hence) and published along with the final result.
In other words, when you send in your vote it will not be published immediately (or whenever
the moderator gets around to forwarding it) but your name will be shown next to the subject
you voted for when the results are published.
Does this make sense? Anyway, just send in your vote as per usual before Midnight (GMT)
on 30th April and on the 1st May I will publish the results along with the names of those who
voted for them.
Below are the subjects proposed for discussion in MAY 2000:
1) Jaap Karssenberg
I want to re-suggest a topic about the place of religion and mysticism in MOQ.
For if mysticism is DQ than religion is the corresponding SQ; but is there religion
only on social level or also at the intellectual level? As Pirsig points out science
builts on mythos in so far that it has it own dogma's. But isn't science without
dogma's simply mysticism.
So in short: What are the places of religion and mysticism in MOQ, and what
connection is there with the place of science?
2) Marco
Is it possible to be aware of something without a Subject Object Logic?
3) Gem7th (Todd)
I suggest that we discuss "the Giant." Cities as living entities, larger than
ourselves. Not against or for us. Does the Giant have a Devouring nature? How
do we relate metaphorically to the "City" as the "red blood cell" does to the
body or carbon based life forms does to the inorganic level? Do you feel the
pulse?
4) Richard Budd
Quote from MD list
"Whether a [mental] patient can be treated against his will (very rare indeed) or
whether a [mental] patient should be manipulated into accepting
treatment they would otherwise reject (probably a lot less rare although
very difficult to determine) are extremely problematic ethical issues. I
can't see that the MoQ helps here so I will shut up."
<End Quote>
What would the MoQ say here? It threw me for a bit of a loop trying to
work this one out--- so I propose:
What does the MoQ have to say about medical ethics? --- Should we force
mental patients to undergo treatments they may not want??? What about
Euthanasia??? Or Cloning for spare parts.... Pirsig's (extremely
unimpressive) example of the moral conflict between the doctor and the germ
shows us that he believes the MoQ should be able to deduce the answers to
these ethical cunundrums. Certainly the INTELLECTUAL will have something to
say about what SOCIETY should and shouldn't do medically.... What do you
say?
5) Diana McPartlin
Challenge Phaedrus to the Book of Questions!
This is a set of questions used by writers to help develop character.
Most of us are probably familiar with party games based on this, but I
think it can also be used to great effect as brainstorming exercise to
analyse the literary character of Phaedrus. None of these questions is
answered in Lila or ZMM so this forces us to go beyond the page and explore
Phaedrus's personal philosophy, morality, politics, knee-jerk reactions,
secret fantasies, wishes, and much more.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Book of Questions
(and, just to be clear, I mean we answer all of them in one month)
A. If your character were to die this evening with no opportunity to
communicate with anyone, what would they most regret not having told
someone? Why haven't they told them yet?
B. Would your character accept $1,000,000 to leave the county and never set
foot in it again?
C. Your character is given the power to kill people simply by thinking of
their deaths and twice repeating the word "goodbye." People would die a
natural death and no one would suspect them. Are there any situations in
which they would use this power? [If they can imagine themselves killing
someone indirectly, could they still see doing it if they had to look into
the person's eyes and stab the person to death? Have they ever genuinely
wanted to kill someone or wished them dead?]
D. What would constitute a "perfect" evening for your character?
E. Would your character rather be extremely successful professionally and
have a tolerable yet unexciting private life, or have an extremely happy
private life and only a tolerable and uninspiring professional life? [Since
so many people place great emphasis on a happy private life, why do people
often wind up putting more energy into their professional lives? If you feel
that their private life is more important to your character, do their
priorities support this? Are they simply unwilling to admit that work is
more important? Do they use work as a substitute? Do they hope professional
success will somehow magically lead to personal happiness?]
F. If your character could wake up tomorrow having gained any one ability or
quality, what would it be?
G. Your character has the chance to meet someone with whom they can have the
most satisfying love imaginable the stuff of dreams. Sadly, they know that
in six months the person will die. Knowing that pain that would follow,
would they still want to meet that person and fall in love? What if they
knew their lover would not die, but instead would betray them? [In love, is
intensity or permanence more important to them? How much do they expect from
someone who loves them? What would make them feel betrayed by their mate
indifference? Dishonesty? Infidelity?
H. Does your character prefer being around men or women? Do their closest
friends tend to be men or women?
I. Would your character be willing to murder an innocent person if it would
end hunger in the world? [Would it torment them more to have the blood of an
innocent person on their hands or to know they let millions of people die?
What do they think of people who achieve great things by compromising their
principles? Many are will to give their own lives but not to take the life
of another; is anything so important they would sacrifice their very soul
for it?]
J. What is their most treasured memory?
K. If your character knew there would be a nuclear war in one week, what
would they do?
L. What is the greatest accomplishment of your character's life? Is there
anything they hope to do that is even better?
M. One would be the one material item your character would save during a
fire?
N. Your character is offered $1,000,000 for the following act: before them
are ten pistols only one of which is loaded. They must pick up one of the
pistols, point it at their forehead, and pull the trigger. If they can walk
away they do so a millionaire. Would they accept the risk?
O. If your character could choose the manner of their death, what would it
be? [Would they die a hero's death, die a martyr to some great cause, die in
a natural catastrophe, or die peacefully? Why is it so tempting to have
death catch us in our sleep?]
P. For what in your character's life do they feel most grateful?
Q. How forgiving is your character?
R. When your character tells a story, do they often exaggerate or embellish
it? If so, why?
S. How much does your character feel in control of the course of their life?
T. Is it easy for your character to ask for help when they need it? Will
they ask for help?
U. Would your character like to be famous? In what way?
V. What are your character's most compulsive habits? Do they regularly
struggle to break those habits?
W. What does your character strive for most in their life: accomplishment,
security, love, power, excitement, knowledge, or something else?
X. How easily embarrassed is your character?
Y. Does the fact that your character has never done something before
increase or decrease its appeal to them?
Z. How many different sexual partners has your character had in their life?
Would they prefer to have had more or fewer?
------- End of forwarded message -------
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