Hey Platt and all,
PLATT:
It's hard to carry on a discussion with someone whose ideas about reality
and truth are considerably different from yours. Of course I'm describing my
own reactions to some recent posts ...It has made me wonder if many here
disagree with Pirsig when he says: ..."Truth is an intellectual pattern of
values." and "The tests of truth are logical consistency, agreement with
experience and economy of explanation." (At times I get the impression that
some believe truth is a social pattern of values to be determined by some
sort of group hug.)
.....if there is no mutual understanding of what truth means, discussion
becomes futile.
RICK:
Notice, Platt, that while those 'Pirsig snippets' you cite ADDRESS 'truth',
they don't DEFINE 'truth'. You're 100% correct when you say that without
mutual understanding of what truth means discussion becomes futile. As this
forum is devoted to the works of Robert Pirsig, I suggest we use his
understanding of what the truth is. Would you like to know what Pirsig's
understanding of 'truth' is...
PIRSIG (LILA p.114):
"Unlike SOM the MOQ does not insist on a single exclusive truth. If
subjects and objects are held to be the ultimate reality then we're
permitted only one construction of things -that which corresponds to the
'objective' world - and all other constructions are unreal. But if Quality
or excellence is seen as the ultimate reality then it becomes possible for
more than one set of truths to exist. Then one doesn't seek the absolute
'Truth.' One seeks instead the highest quality intellectual explanation of
things with the knowledge that if the past is any guide to the future this
explanation must be taken provisionally; as useful until something better
comes along. One can then examine intellectual realities the same way he
examines paintings in an art gallery, not with an effort to find out which
one is the 'real' painting, but simply to enjoy and keep those that are of
value. There are many sets on intellectual reality in existence and we can
perceive some to have more quality than others, but that we do so is, in
part, the result of our history and current patterns of value."
RICK:
I think you will find Pirsig's explanation of 'truth' 100% consistent with
my notion of provisional truths based on systematic interpretations of
fact....
Group hugs indeed.
What do you think???
rick
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