Hi Squad
Diana McPartlin wrote:
>
> >From chp 13
>
> "First, there were moral codes that established the supremacy of
> biological life over inanimate nature. Second, there were moral codes
> that established the supremacy of the social order over biological life
> -- conventional morals -- proscriptions against drugs, murder, adultery,
> theft and the like. Third, there were moral codes that established the
> supremacy of the intellectual order over the social order -- democracy,
> trial by jury, freedom of speech, freedom of the press. Finally there's
> a fourth Dynamic morality which isn't a code. He supposed you could call
> it a 'code of Art' or something like that, but art is usually thought of
> as such a frill that that title undercuts it importance. The morality of
> the brujo in Zuni -- that was Dynamic morality."
> ...
>
> "We're at last dealing with morals on the basis of reason. We can now
> deduce codes based on evolution that analyze moral arguments with
> greater precision than before."
>
> These are bold claims indeed, but are they justified?
I guess the question has just been too difficult. I haven't seen anyone
post anything that made the answer seem clear.
After going over and over it I still feel that using intellectual
arguments you could make Pirsig's moral codes support anything you want,
so it can hardly be the basis for a new moral order. However it still
seems useful, even if it's only to analyse dilemmas in hindsight and to
isolate the various forces at play in any moral conflict.
If I have to conclude on this argument, the best I can say is that the
moral codes are somewhat useful but not half as important as Pirsig
says. That's rather worrying seeing as the whole book is "an inquiry
into morals" and I hope I'm wrong. Perhaps I'm just looking at it from
the wrong perspective...
Diana
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