Hi Marco, Adam, (Platt), and everyone else,
JONATHAN
>> My understanding of the MoQ is that both "accident" and "purpose" are
>> platypus words.
MARCO
>I have the impression that there is the risk it becomes too easy to
>configure as "platypus" every thing we can't agree upon. When Pirsig
>destroys the Platypus "causation" for example, he replaces "A causes B"
>with "B values precondition A" . The same goes for "matter" replaced
by
>"inorganic pattern of value" and so on.
>
When discovered, the duckbill platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) proved
difficult to fit to the accepted taxonomy of the day. Pirsig's platypus
is some observed beast (i.e. concept or pattern) that doesn't easily fit
into either of the two classification boxes of SOM, the "subjective" and
"objective". Thus, I think that "accident" and "purpose" are both
excellent candidates.
MARCO
>So, I ask you how do you replace purpose from the sentence:
>
>"It is my purpose to go home"
"I am going home" - or - "I PLAN to go home".
The latter version is to stress the conscious element.
>
>and accident from the sentence:
>
>"By accident I met an old friend"
"I had an unexpected/unplanned meeting with an old friend".
I just saw Adam's answers to Marco's questions - also good.
Hope this helps.
Jonathan
The one-liner that led to this thread is so good I am going repeat it .
. .
PLATT's description of evolution:
"It gets better accidentally on purpose."
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