drose and the squad,
We do have extreme difficulty in talking about the MoQ without bringing
sentience into it, don't we?
I also have extreme difficulty in getting my ideas across on the MoQ.
Let me try again and maybe I can clarify the situation without going
through the post point by point.
The difficulty I have is that it seems to me that Pirsig alters the
thrust of the MoQ when he gets to humanity (or sentience). Up until the
point where humanity evolves the MoQ is solidly based on the physical
universe. Up to that point all of evolution is compatible and nothing is
incompatible with the physical basis of the universe. Morality is universal
morality.
When sentience develops then the focus of evolution switches to humanity.
>From that point on the basis of the MoQ becomes humanity. This results in
the basis of morality being sentience which results in a different MoQ for
each sentient being. This is where he switches to the idea that there is no
single truth but a different truth for each sentient individual. This human
focus on morality leads into the heirarchy of the levels and dictates an
increasing level of morality for each of the four levels. At this point we
begin to judge morality from a strictly human standpoint. Morality is no
longer based on the physical universe, only on the concerns of humanity.
I contend that this is not a valid way of looking at morality. I believe
that human morality should remain a single truth based on the workings of
the physical universe and that the four levels should remain compatible
with physical morality. If we adopt this interpretation then the four
levels would not represent increasing levels of morality. Instead they
would represent an equal mix of moral possibilities with no level being
considered an overriding level of morality. In this way moral judgements
would still be based on physical morality and what is good for the universe
and the biosphere would be based on a single physical truth instead of the
"many truths" set forth in Lila.
Does this make any sense or have I just confused you further. Ken
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