All
The list of problems under the levels head contains nine areas of
concern. Before starting on an item by item basis I've jotted down some
general notes, which I will share with you, to help me keep on track.
1. As I continue my investigation of Pirsig's claim of being an
extension of James' work I am becoming more and more convinced that
understanding the empirical foundations underlying Pirsig's work is a
key, at least for me,to a better understanding of the MoQ. The essays or
lectures that seem to be applicable to the levels problems are:
"Knowing of Things Together"
the series of three "Precepts and Concept" lectures.
The "The One and The Many" in the radical empiricism series.
and "The One and the Many" in the pragmatic method series.
2. To think of static in any absolute terms such as 'fixed' can mislead,
stable is a better term. The values you are experiencing NOW are
completely new and different from the ones you are experiencing NOW but
the pattern "NOW" for all 'practical' purposes is identical. Refer back to
this concept of "practical" when trying to address the utility issue in 4.9.
3. Many of the problems listed seem to be those of the "relationship"
kind. intralevel, interlevel, static to dynamic. The "radical" addition
to empirism by James was created to include "relationships". Maybe
there's a clue there. Maybe understanding James' take on "relationships"
will help understand the moral relationships of levels or patterns
within levels.
4. I thought Bo mentioned something recently (can't find it) about
static quality as a unity, whole , or one. Pirsig's rhetoric seems to
emphasize the disjuctions of the levels but given his mystic and Zen
bent and their emphasis on oneness possibly it's more a matter of our
misinterpretation.
3WD
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