From: Hugo Masse (massehugo@yahoo.com.mx)
Date: Wed Mar 31 2004 - 18:11:08 BST
"Does Pirsig's work help us to sort out the
distinctions between metaphysics and the mystical
reality?"
I donīt think the actual question has been addressed.
Pirsig himself defines mysticism as a refusal to give
definitions, as he did in ZMM. That book is mystical.
But in LILA he admits he can no longer get away with a
"one term metaphysics" therefore he develops his MOQ
(he uses the term in this way, as a countable noun,
opening the door to more than one MOQ)
The MOQ is a definition of reality that is based on
Quality, on Values not on the subject-object dycothomy
as others. In it, he defines DQ as undefinable but
attempts a definition through its effects. That is as
close a mysticism as he gets in his MOQ. Actually, he
expresses that the two major philosophical
orientations that oppose metaphysics are: Empirical
positivists and Mystics. The former think Metaphysics
not scientific enough, whereas the latter find
Metaphysics to be too scientific, like a finger
pointing at the moon, but that will never replace the
moon.
I would answer that it helps us distinguish between
metaphysics and mysticism, starting on the latter and
landing on the former, i.e. he started with a mystical
approach (Quality is undefinable) and ended in a
metaphysical one (his MOQ)
Cheers,
Hugo Masse
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 : Wed Mar 31 2004 - 18:52:45 BST