Dear Jeremy (via Jason Switchberg),
You refer 26/11 22:22 -0500 to Platt's "Lila"-quote: " . . . rule
by TERROR . . . the old BIOLOGICAL might-makes-right morality of
prehistoric brigandage that primitive societies were set up to
overcome." (Chap. 24)
You state "Terrorism is not about being boss".
I don't think "prehistoric brigandage" was about being boss
either. It was about survival. When brigands became boss, they
ceased to be "brigands" and became "nobles". Pirsig wrongly used
the word "rule" in this quote, I think.
I would prefer "the old LOW-QUALITY SOCIAL might-makes-right
morality" in this context. Primitive societies employed
(slightly) higher quality social moralities, often hardly
distinguishable in our eyes from "might-makes-right".
Paraphrasing Pirsig (chap. 12): "The value that holds a [gang or
terrorist organization] together is a social pattern of value.
... [It is] completely different from the biological pattern that
can cause the most skeptical of intellectuals to leap-from a hot
stove" and from the biological pattern that causes people to fear
terrorists, a gang or the might that is being legitimized by a
"might-makes-right morality", for that matter.
With friendly greetings,
Wim
-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: Jason Switchberg <westward@sprint.ca>
Aan: moq_discuss@moq.org <moq_discuss@moq.org>
Datum: dinsdag 27 november 2001 4:27
Onderwerp: Re: MD Logical Conclusions Anyone?
Hi platt,
Your using this quote:
" . . . rule by TERROR . . . the old BIOLOGICAL
might-makes-right
morality of prehistoric brigandage that primitive societies
were set up
to overcome." (Chap. 24)
in the wrong context.
The terror being referred to here is one of biological
origins all right,
but it is not the kind of terror we face today.
Terrorists - Computer hackers, Columbine kids, Timothy
Mcveigh, do not seek
to Rule anything. They are the antithesis of rule. Complete
destructive
chaos is all they seek.
Terrorism is not about being boss.
Just a thought
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