Clark and Squad,
Having just joined MD I was somewhat surprised to encounter your post. It makes me wonder
what I have been missing. I shall try to respond, though I must admit I am left guessing where
you are coming from.
You say "all things experience the appropriate DQ and sq, even inanimate objects. Else how
would we have a universe to inhabit." I think it is stretching the normal usage of "experience"
to apply that term to inanimate objects. The universe existed, I suppose, before anyone
thought of DQ and sq, and your comment only makes sense if we assume the DQ/sq
assumption is fundamental to how things are. Maybe it is, but I don't assume that. I want to
examine any intellectual insight or system to see if it makes sense, as best I can judge, and
to see if it assists me to live better in this universe. Frankly, most people find philosophy a
non-issue because at the end of the day they assume its all hot air. I enjoy the intellectual
stimulus of Pirsig's ideas, but I am yet to be convinced that his thought will actually change
people's lives for the better. One major proviso, though. For people who are overwhelmed by
the arid hopelessness of mainstream philosophy, to find someone building a metaphysics on
quality may indeed be a sign of hope. I happen to think Pirsig has got it right at this point. But
each person has to do their own intellectual work to integrate this into their lives, and I
remain profoundly cynical of the ability of intelligence alone to influence the quality of our
lives.
As to feeling uncomfortable with inhabiting an illogical universe, join Einstein, for one. He felt
very uncomfortable with the direction physics took during his lifetime, but his discomfort
seems not to have altered anything. As I understand mysticism (and I do not claim to be a
mystic) it is essentially letting go of the intellect and re-experiencing immediate sensation in
much the way we did as infants. This certainly is a loss of both control and understanding as
generally understood. The issue is whether control and understanding are the keys to a good
life. I strongly believe they are not, but I equally believe they make a contribution and cannot
be ignored. If you wish to examine mysticism through the experience of a mature scientist
who experienced 'enlightenment' uninvited, much to his surprise, I suggest you explore the
articles by John Wren-Lewis on the internet. "The Dazzling Dark" would be a good
introduction. I find John a very credible person - I spoke with him on the phone before his
death, and his articles are stimulating and, in my assessment, honest.
Regards
John B
MOQ Online Homepage - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
Unsubscribe - http://www.moq.org/md/index.html
MD Queries - horse@wasted.demon.nl
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Aug 17 2002 - 16:02:58 BST