In a message dated 11/3/98 9:50:13 PM Pacific Standard Time,
diana@hongkong.com writes:
> Jonathan and the other moralists
>
> Lightening strikes: one tree survives, the other doesn’t. Thus the inorganic
level >affects the evolution of the biological level. The ice age wiped out
all kinds of plants >and fish. A meteorite crashed into the planet and the
dinosaurs became extinct.
>
> But still, many biological patterns have survived all this. And the ones
that have, >have done so because they have devised ways to rise above
inorganic phenomena. I>’m not a biologist but I did go to primary school and
have drawn (quite beautifully I >can assure you) many pictures of camels, with
color-coded arrows pointing out how >their eyelids block out the sand, their
feet are splayed so they don’t sink, and the >hump … well I think we all know
what the hump is for.
>
> And this brings us to one of Pirsig’s most brilliant ideas – his theory of
evolution. >“The idea that life is progressing towards something has been
explored,” he says, >“but has anyone taken up the idea that life is evolving
away from something?”
>
> What the MoQ adds to natural selection is that those patterns which are
>“selected” are the ones which free themselves from the chains of the
inorganic >level. When biological quality first evolved it was merely dynamic
inorganic quality >seeking new freedom. Biological quality still has a
constant battle against inorganic >quality and it doesn't always win. However
the most dynamic freedom seeking >biological patterns are the most successful
at overcoming it and consequently have >the best chance of evolving further.
>
>“Survival of the fittest” IS the survival of the biological patterns that
break free from >the chains of inorganic level most successfully. MoQ morality
says that freedom >from static patterns is the highest morality. Thus, the MoQ
says that natural >selection is moral. >>
You say it so much better, Diana. I was taking the perspective of the
lightning itself acting inorganically on a tree (even if the tree has carbon
in it). Taking the position of biology gives us all a good appreciation of
the interface between levels.
Lightning striking seems to involve a lot of the randomness of the quantum
to where it strikes. This is probably because we don't understand it enough.
But what biology has done to overcome inorganic obstacles (the ability to grow
back even if it was completely burnt) is survival of the most dynamic.
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