Bodvar Skutvik (skutvik@online.no)
Fri, 9 Jan 1998 13:40:34 +0100
Ken and Hugo!
Thanks for offering me your suggestions for the "subjective" side to
the Inorganic level and for the highly relevant commentary.
Ken's entry:
> Good points and good discussion. The only thing that comes immediately to
> mind for the inorganic level is "PATTERNS'. Would this be unambiguous
> enough?
Hugo's:
> I really like that question - 'What do we call the 'mind' of
> matter?' !! Might I suggest the term RELATION.
In addition Hugo says that emotion (as mutual representation) takes a
little explaining. Agreed! However I find it defensible and the
sequence ? - SENSATION - EMOTION - REASON has a beauty that I would
love(!!!!) to see completed.
Emotions has been the stepchild of philosophy. I know no thinker
who integrates feelings into his/her system (perhaps the American
Martha Nussbaum, but in a very contrived manner). They have been
considered disturbing, irrational, threatening outcasts. Pirsig does
not explicitly treat emotions (that I know), but the MOQ gives room
for that deduction.
The obvious objection to emotions as the social value "carrier"
(Hugo's "mutual representation" is a very good expression) is that
they may be negative as well. Love is expedient in building
relationships, but what about hatred, contempt, disgust etc?. Well,
they are repellent, but always in some relationship. It takes
two (at least) to hate and the negative emotions are the strongest
motive for societies to stick together when directed outwards - to
"aliens". No, I think we're on to something here. I FEEL it!
Now, to your suggestions: PATTERNS and RELATIONS. As there are no
sentient organisms involved below the Bio level it sounds outrageous
to ask for an Inorganic representation (the "mind" of matter) , but
as MOQ rejects the primary division of SOM I feel free to follow that
path. Even if I recognize your intentions I'm not fully satisfied
with either, but please keep on thinking. The ..on ending in English
is preferable, but as Hugo knows it is not as easy to make it
coherent in "Scandinavian".
Bo
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