Struan:
I've been thinking about your accusation that the MoQ confuses the
good of UTILITY with the good of MORALITY. And I have to say it's a
formidable objection. I wasn't going to enter to this debate (or this
dialectic, depending on our true goals here) because I didn't think I had
anything to add that hasn't been said yet. I was trying to buy into the
arguments made by some others that that the MoQ elevates one good to that of
the other (for whatever reason)... but as you pointed out, even if this is
true, we wind up "[blurring] a very useful and important boundary for no
gain."
In a totally unrelated post I put up yesterday entitled "Integrity"
(which, except for some kind words from David Sater has gone basically
unnoticed) I discussed my idea that the term "Integrity" is a superior term
for what Pirsig calls "Static Quality"--- You can read the post if you'd
like but the gist of it is that the term INTEGRITY has dual meanings (both
very common and traditional). The first has to do with "staying power"
(i.e. the integrity of a ship's hull), the second has to do with morality
(i.e. Martin Luther King is a man of Integrity). My dictionary defines
Integrity as --- Adherence to a code or standard of values. (There are
other definitons but they're all essentially derivative of this primary
one).
Now, it occured to me that what we have here is a "traditionally
defined" word (I know you hate redefining) that already unites the good of
Utility with the good of Morality.... Would it not be both correct to say
that (a) 2 + 2 = 4 is an answer of high Intellectual Integrity, and (b)
returning a $5 bill that I found in the street is an act of high Social
Integrity?
The terms are all used traditionally, no distinctions have been
blurred, and we gain the ability to discuss all things in one framework....
What do you think?
Rick
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