Dear David B.,
You wrote 10/2 11:26 -0700:
'The distinction you make between static patterns and static
latches doesn't make any sense to me.'
You are right. A static pattern of values IS a latch for Dynamic
Quality.
Pirsig 'Lila' ch. 11:
'A Dynamic advance is meaningless unless it can find some static
pattern with which to protect itself from degeneration back to
the conditions that existed before the advance was made.
Evolution can't be a continuous forward movement. It must be a
process of ratchet like steps in which there is a Dynamic
movement forward up some new incline and then, if the result
looks successful, a static latching-on of the gain that has been
made; then another Dynamic advance, then another static latch.'
I didn't find any statement of Pirsig connecting static latching
and replication. Hey, maybe I'm original! Do you think making
that connection needs Pirsig's backup to be valid? It sounds
logical enough to me:
'Pattern' implies 'repetition' of experience (similar Quality
Events) over time or over space. The only obvious explanation for
repetitive experience is some 'mechanism' that replicates the
circumstances 'valuing' this experience. These circumstances must
be preserved or reproduced over time and/or copied from one spot
to the other.
The distinction between (type of) static latch and (type of)
static pattern of values may not be necessary. I distinguished it
in order to clarify my answer to the question
'how to distinguish between levels of static quality'. Pirsig
doesn't answer this question (as far as I know) anywhere. That's
probably because it has never conclusively been answered on this
list. Pirsig left us to answer it for ourselves... If you know
another answer (than my 'by replication mechanism') that is just
as generally applicable for all levels, please tell us.
With friendly greetings,
Wim
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