Re: MF Discussion Topic for January 2004

From: Wim Nusselder (wim.nusselder@antenna.nl)
Date: Thu Jan 08 2004 - 09:52:05 GMT

  • Next message: MATTHEW PAUL KUNDERT: "Re: MF Discussion Topic for January 2004"

    Dear Rick,

    You asked: Does Pirsig adequately support his notion that we have a 'sense
    of value' analogous to the five traditional senses?

    You quoted Pirsig as writing (in his SODV paper):
    'The Metaphysics of Quality follows the empirical tradition here in saying
    that the senses are the starting point of reality, but -- all importantly --
    it includes a sense of value. Values are phenomena. To ignore them is to
    misread the world. It says this sense of value, of liking or disliking, is a
    primary sense that is a kind of gatekeeper for everything else an infant
    learns.'

    Couldn't this quote be read as implying that the 'sense of value' is not
    analogous to the five traditional senses, but 'primary', kind of summarizing
    or abstracted from them? The 'gatekeeper' metaphor might suggest that the
    'sense of value' has a separate and different role from other senses that
    provide 'imput' for interpretation by the 'sense of value'. I wouldn't take
    the metaphor too literally however.
    I don't think this 'sense of value' is really separate from the five senses
    (and I don't interpret Pirsig as stating that it is). It's merely an
    analytical tool for describing how these five senses are working: through
    them we only experience what has value.

    With friendly greetings,

    Wim

    MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
    Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_focus/
    MF Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net

    To unsubscribe from moq_focus follow the instructions at:
    http://www.moq.org/mf/subscribe.html

    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Thu Jan 08 2004 - 23:29:09 GMT