If I might interfere:
Platt's reasoning shows quite well, if you think of it, that it's not true
that there is no absolute truth. In fact, in Platt's line of reasoning you
could easily conclude that *all* truths are absolute: that is, that every
sentence is either false or an absolute truth. I think Platt agrees here, too.
I think the problem with this all is that it only makes sense provided the
meaning of a sentence is absolutely defined and known and agreed upon to the
last bit. Otherwise the answer to "is that true" is always "depends". I think
no one ever witnessed such a clearly defined human sentence, with the
exception of mathematics. So there are two possibilities:
a) it is possible, in line of principle, to define the meaning of a sentence
in an absolutely precise way; of course it would take an infinite time, so it
is impossible in practice;
b) the same thing is impossible in line of principle too (for whatever reason
you think that happens).
I am in the b) camp. Either way, anyhow, I think you could sum up by saying
that there is no absolute truth, for all practical purposes.
Andrea
Platt Holden ha scritto:
> Hey all,
>
> This is for all those "there are no absolutes" fans out there (especially
> my friend Rick) .....
>
> Pirsig makes the following ABSOLUTE assertion, without any
> qualifications whatsoever. Note his double use of the word "always"
> which means every time, without exception, forever and ever, unto
> infinity and beyond, world without end, no ifs, ands, or buts, no
> loopholes for lawyers to exploit: (-:
>
> "But scientific truth has ALWAYS contained an overwhelming difference
> from theological truth. It is provisional. Science ALWAYS contains an
> eraser . . ." (emphasis added)
>
> Yes, science is ABSOLUTELY provisional. Pirsig admits of NO
> exceptions.
>
> RICK:
> > Does anybody still care to argue that Pirsig supports absolute truth???
> >
> > Anybody?
>
> Of course he supports absolute truth. He just stated an absolute truth--
> that scientific truth is provisional. But if you intend to imply that he
> supports science, you're wrong:
>
> "But having said this, the Metaphysics of Quality goes on to say that
> science, the intellectual pattern that has been appointed to take over
> society, has a defect in it. The defect is that subject-object science has
> no provision for morals." (Chap. 22)
>
> Want more Pirsig absolute truths? Here is just a sampling:
>
> "Cars rolling over a bridge in the distance sounded clearly through the
> cold night air."
>
> "The cold deck on his bare feet really woke him up."
>
> "After Phaedrus left Boseman he saw Dusenberry just twice."
>
> "Dusenberry was born in Bozeman and had graduated from college
> there."
>
> Absolutes abound throughout Pirsig's works. As in life. They are
> absolutely unavoidable.
>
> Even lawyers admit to absolute truths, such as the existence of state
> bar exams. (-:
>
> Platt
>
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