Andrea,
why would Pirsig say that a doctor has the right to kill a bacterium inside a
human body to protect the human if bacteria were as high on the evolution
chain as humans? The way i see it, human beings are above other organisms
because of the capacity for intellect as well as the capacity for DQ. No
other organism can think rationally and conceptually. Of course, that is not
always a good thing, as you stated with your 1984 example. But, for the most
part, humanity's struggle for survival is moral, moreso than the struggle of
other organisms.
But, and i hate arguing with myself, i think bacteria might be able to be
seen as possessing DQ. How many new strains of bacteria do you hear about
that have changed in order to infect the human bodies in different ways, or
about bacteria becoming immune to our chemicals? It seems no different than
the way societies evolve in order to ensure their continuity.
rasheed
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