Hi Rick, all
> > > R
> > > You have to give up on this idea that killing individuls always
goes
> > > hand in hand with 'defending the status quo'. Pirsig's very point is
> that
> > > sometimes killing individuals goes hand in hand with 'defending
society
> > > itself'.
> > M
> > Ok, it can be, but this is nowadays quite irrelevant. No common criminal
> > threatens the modern society, the global village. Even Al-Qaeda "global
> > terrorism" can't
> > really destroy the social structure.
> R
> I think this is a bit of a simplification. You know why Al-Qaeda can't
> really destroy the social structure? Because the social structure has the
> means to KILL Al-Qaeda. The threat of the barbarians destroying society
and
> Intellect is not "irrelevant" as you say, rather it is DORMANT... Held in
> check by men with guns and in large prisons with thick walls. It was that
> so many thought the threat was "irrelevant" which allowed 9/11.
M
This is only partly true. Today's western world is not merely a social
structure. You are forgetting the role of intellect. Indeed we have good
weapons. But, more than this, we know we are on the right side. Don't forget
how America lose the war in Vietnam. America was not weaker, but Americans
knew it was a wrong war. If fighting Al Qaeda had been wrong, be sure the
war would have been a disaster for America.
> M
> What
> > makes me what I am (my personality) is *mainly* my intellectual self.
> Social
> > and biological selves are becoming everyday less relevant in this world.
>
> R
> I disagree. Here's a little excerpt from one of the first conversations I
> ever participated in on this forum several years ago. It was written by
the
> now absent Donny Palmgren.
[snipped]
MB
hmmm... of course my individual self could not exist without an underlying
social structure.... but that doesn't mean my "personality" is social (this
was your point) I think Donny's words don't apply to my case. I don't see
society as anti-individual or anti-intellect. I just see intellect
as -possibly- over-society, and my personality four-level. I repeat this
Pirsig's statement:
"My personal feeling is that this is how any further improvement of the
world will be done: by individuals making Quality decisions and that's all"
My effort is to try to be an individual making Quality decisions.... and I'm
positive that it would HELP society.
Ciao,
Marco
p.s.
a brief personal note
Congratulate me! Despite all this discussing about abortion, I'm Dad. Anna
was born yesterday 13:39 local time. She's 3.160 Kilograms, 50 centimeters,
and beautiful.
"Unhappiness and misfortune are bound to occur as long as people live, but
there is a feeling now, that was not here before, and is not just on the
surface of things, but penetrates all the way through: We've won it. It's
going to get better now. You can sort of tell these things."
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