hello everyone
garrett merriam wrote:
Richard Budd has recently drawn our attention to the passage in Chapter 14
of ZMM that starts "Molecules are molecules..." A little further on in the
passage Phaedrus states "The test of the machine is the satisfaction it
gives you. There isn't any other test. If the machine produces tranquility
it's right. If it disturbs you it's wrong until either the machine or your
mind is changed...There isn't any other test." Prima facie, this is
briliant.
But in chapter 29 of Lila, Praedrus states "The idea that satisfaction alone
is the test of ANYTHING is very dangerous, according to the metaphysics of
quality." (my italics)
Is this just the result of the MoQ developing to a point that it contradicts
the rudamentary statment made in ZMM? Am I overlooking some piece of
contextual information that disolves the apparent contradiction? Has anyone
else noticed this before? Does anyone have any thoughts? Help me out here.
garrett, perhaps adding the following sentence to the quote will help
clarify things a bit. "There are different kinds of satisfaction, and some
of them are moral nightmares." (Pg. 416, paperback)
i think this is just an extention of the "satisfaction" Pirsig was talking
about that one gets when a motorcycle is running perfectly. in the Lila
quote he is putting that satisfaction into a more expasive framework with
his four static levels of Quality. the satisfaction in ZMM is a resonance of
the molecules in the motorcycle with the molecules in the body and the
feeling it gives is a Dynamic between-ness of bike and human.
the Metaphysics of Quality tells us there are more than one level of
satisfaction but it does not contradict ZMM as that is a different level of
satisfaction, only one of many.
best wishes,
glove
http://members.tripod.com/~Glove_r/Bohr.html
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