RE: MD Pirsig a liberal?

From: David Buchanan (DBuchanan@ClassicalRadio.org)
Date: Sat Jan 04 2003 - 02:43:16 GMT

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    Matt, Platt and all:

    Matt wrote:
    I agree that Pirsig says liberal ideologies are more moral than others.

    Platt responded:
    Would either of you gentlemen care to back up your assertion with
    evidence? I've looked in Lila and can find none. Rather, Pirsig seems to
    contradict your assertion when he says:

    "To put philosophy in the service of any social organization or any
    dogma is immoral." (29)

    DMB says:
    If social organizations or dogma were the same as an ideology Platt might
    have a good point, but they aren't and so he doesn't. Matt's answer works.
    (That we can judge cultures "according to their contribution to the
    evolution of life", as Pirsig puts it.) We could leave it at that, but
    Pirsig is very specific and explicit about this. I've posted it many times.
    From chapter 16...

    "From a static point of view socialism is more moral than capitolism. Its a
    higher form of evolution. Its an intellectually guided society, not just a
    society that is guided by mindless traditions." And on the next page he
    reasserts the same idea. The emphasis is Pirsig's...

    "It is not that Victorian social economic patterns are more moral than
    socialist intellectual economic patterns. Quite the opposite. They are LESS
    moral as static patterns go."

    Thanks for your time,
    DMB

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