Dave Thomas (dlt44@ipa.net)
Mon, 9 Feb 1998 09:19:09 +0100
Peter & TLS,
As much as we humans would like to simplify "the rules" of reality to a few
terse lines on an Internet site, or Greek verse, that is not, and will not be.
To KISS (Keep it simple stupid) my response is (KMA). That dogma smacks of
such other historic attempts as the Ten Commandments, Mao's "Little Red Book,
et al, et al, and is not the essence of Pirsig. None of these dogmas are
totally false, or bad, just simple human words and ideas codified past any
point of relevancy. Our dilemma is is thus: How do we develop a system of
being that acknowledges and mediates our historic tendencies to?:
> See how the force of the idea is made static by “explaining it”. Explanation isolates it and
>makes it a target instead of an influence. If I can contribute anything, it
is the recognition
>of the working of this subtle, simple law: that which is unexpressed is
dynamic, active.
>The Bell Notes -A Journey from Physics to Metaphysics - Arthur M Young 1979
ISBN 0-9609850-4-2
If Pirsig can contribute anything to our solution of this dilemma it is not
because of his potential correlation to quantum mechanics, or evolution, other
scientific advancements, or mystically conjectures, no matter how neatly they
correspond, but rather the more general principle that indeterminacy rules,
and that we, as humans, had better learn to deal with it.
Buts lets not trash simplicity out of hand. The complexity we decry is not
without, but within. A tree, the universe, or you and I are not a hare's
breath more complexed now than they have ever been. It is only our perception
that has grown more convoluted. This is good, that we deal with it poorly is
not.
Now, if we can only develop and perpetrate a system which is understandable to
a child of five, comforting to a dying man, feeds the whole of India 2000
calories per day for infinity, births triplets while milking the cow, prepares
a multi course dinner for heads of state complete with horses de ovaries, as
well as making the past due rent payments for everyone simulanously and
forever, I think we might have done something. But I guess it would depend on
your point of view. :-V
POC
(Piece of Cake)
Dave
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