Hi 3WD, Group:
> Pirsig
>
> "It says, first of all, that "amoral objective matter" is a low-grade
> form of morality. and "there is not just one moral system. There are
> many. ...there’s the morality called the "laws of nature," by which
> inorganic patterns triumph over chaos; there is a morality called the
> "laws of the jungle" where biology triumphs over the inorganic forces of
> starvation and death; there’s a morality where social patterns triumph over
> biology, "the law"; and there is intellectual morality, which is still
> struggling in its attempts to control society." Lila-pp 158
>
> While attention is focused on the intellectual level I would like to ask
> this:
>
> If in a commonsense way the moral systems of the MoQ are:
>
> inorganic ='s "laws of nature"
> organic ='s "laws of the jungle"
> social ='s "the law"
> intellectual = [Blank]
>
> Why did Pirsig not tie some name like these to this level? Or did he
> somewhere and I miss it? But if he didn't what are some of the
> possibilities? The best candidate?
I vote for the laws of "logical consistency." Or "math and logic."
The postmodern attack on logic being a tool of white male power is a
clear example of the social level attempting to devour the intellectual
level. That groupthink has made inroads into the body politic,
especially among academics, is illustrated by a patron's withdrawal of
a $38 million donation to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. to
create a "Hall of Achievers" that was to demonstrate the power of
individuals to shape history. The patron withdrew the donation when
the Smithsonian staff objected to the exhibit's focus on individuals
instead of groups. She wrote:
"Apparently, the basic philosophy for the exhibit--the power of the
individual to make a difference--is the antithesis of that espoused by
many within the Smithsonian bureaucracy, which is that only
movements and institutions make a difference, not individuals. After
much contemplation, I see no way to reconciles these diametrically-
opposed viewpoints."
The battles between the social and intellectual levels have
consequences, not just in books like LILA, but in the everyday world.
Logic and math, incapable of being cowered or converted by group
demands, stand as beacons of individual freedom against the howling
mob. Given the premise of inalienable rights, the logic of forming
governments to protect the intellectual level from the forces of society
becomes unassailable.
Platt
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Aug 17 2002 - 16:01:51 BST