Re: MD Ironic Metaphysics

From: jhmau (jhmau@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Fri Jan 17 2003 - 19:18:44 GMT

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    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Scott R"
    To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
    Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 7:16 PM
    Subject: Re: MD Ironic Metaphysics

    > Matt,
    >
    > > Matt:
    > > Alright, I take the point that their might be a problem, possibly
    > > unsolvable, in the processing of language. Being as I know nothing
    about
    > > cognitive science, what the current mood is in the discipline and the
    > like,
    > > I'm sure you'll understand my reticence on falling over to your side.
    > I've
    > > only read what you've said. To make a proper choice, I'd have to read a
    > > bit more. Like you said, it took you years to see the problem. My only
    > > hope is that, if this is a very problematical anomaly, then a genius
    will
    > > arise to reshape the discipline.
    >
    > Well, they didn't reshape this particular discipline, but geniuses (of a
    > sort) have solved the problem: the Buddha, Nagarjuna, Shankara, Franklin
    > Merrell-Wolff...
    >
    > > Matt:
    > > Well, I find it disingenuous that you'd force pragmatists into the
    > position
    > > of having a metaphysics, whether they know it or not. That's the
    clearest
    > > case of begging the question. Rorty is a nominalist. The nominalist
    > claim
    > > is that words don't refer to anything essential in the world, they
    simply
    > > help us cope with the world. Rorty and the pragmatists aren't assuming
    a
    > > metaphysical materialism. They're trying to cope with the world.
    > > ... [Pragmatists] just
    > > want to see how different ways of viewing the world helps us cope with
    it.
    > > To say that our attempt to cope with the world is a metaphysical stance,
    > > begs the question because as far as we can tell, we are not debating
    about
    > > how the world _really_ is, we are just trying to deal with it.
    >
    > I agree with all this (except I do not call myself a nominalist, as that
    is
    > taking one side of a metaphysical question -- do things have essences? --
    > that I see as requiring the tetralemma (not yes, not no, not yes and no,
    not
    > neither yes nor no)). So what I am saying is that I coped with the world
    > very much as Rorty does until I ran into a problem that my existing coping
    > methods couldn't cope with. So I changed them. However, after changing
    them
    > I realized how my previous methods (which are still Rorty's) were based on
    a
    > certain view of life, the universe, and everything, and so am now able to
    > see them as being a metaphysical stance. We all have such stances. Part of
    > my way of coping is to call them metaphysical stances, though I recall
    that
    > we use the word 'metaphysics' differently. So what I am saying is that
    > Rorty's coping methods (which is to say, what leads him to write what he
    > writes) are based on a particular view of reality, one that I have found
    > just as limiting as believing that the world was created 6000 years ago.
    >
    > >
    > > Also, I don't see how Darwinism only makes sense from a materialist
    > > perspective. As far as I can tell, whether you think all things are
    atoms
    > > in a void, ideas in our mind, or Quality has no bearing on how evolution
    > > works. Everything still evolves, its just what's _really_ evolving
    > > changes. Pragmatists want to cut out the middle man and say that
    stuff's
    > > evolving, but what that stuff _really_ is will never be solved or widely
    > > agreed upon.
    >
    > Darwinism is the belief that evolution happens through chance and natural
    > selection, meaning that no intelligence, or purpose, or other non-material
    > factor is needed for evolution to happen, hence a materialist is required
    to
    > believe in it (or some similar theory). I am aware that it is logically
    > possible for things to become more complex in form in this way. But I
    think
    > it very unlikely (as Pirsig notes with the chemist left out in the sun).
    > What I deem to be impossible is that sentient forms could have evolved
    from
    > non-sentient forms.
    >
    > - Scott

    Hi Scott, Matt, Mari, and All,

    Scott, I followed what you said up to the point of stating: "What I deem to
    be impossible is that sentient forms could have evolved from non-sentient
    forms."

    I agree with you and I would like to add something. Like Mari I am thinking
    of the tower of Babel. I have tried to follow what Matt is saying, and I am
    thinking of pragmatists and nominalists. Is the speech of a complex
    individual like his fingerprint, unique? There are no absolutes and every
    word is individualized? The tower of Babel was built by trial and error by
    people who speak different languages. It was misshapen and fell or it was
    beautiful. A leader called all the people together to build the tower. So
    much has to be re-written.

    Subject Object Metaphysics, describing how we know things, proposes that
    existence be divided 'intentional existence' and 'existence outside the
    mind' subject and object. Mind and will in a soul of an individual are
    added to a sentient being. A problem occurs as true and false can be said
    of the same thing. It truly exists but is falsely conceived, or it is truly
    conceived, but does not exist outside the mind. For SOM Thing and One are
    absolutes, and True and Good are relative absolutes. Much has been written
    trying to make this metaphysics work.

    The Metaphysics Of Quality according to Persig is that Quality is divided
    into Dynamic and Static Quality. Quality is the only absolute. The theory
    of How I know Quality is through undefined, instinctive experience, like how
    a baby learns. How I know the pattern of static quality, or how dq becomes
    a pattern is unclear? It is also unclear how the instinctive sense is
    configured? Moral orders, instinctively sensed, add complexoty to an
    individual? Static quality preserves an experienced Dynamic movement? Are
    moral orders absolute?

    "Impossible to evolve sentient from non-sentient forms." I agree, so what
    can be added?

    Quality Is Value. I suggest There are Three absolutes: Quality, Existence,
    Purpose. There are three instincts, three brains to enable a movement from
    non-sentient to sentient.

    Sentient: a being with a reflexive awareness of self. The self is contained
    in one absolute at a time. Non-sentient: a being with only positive, or
    negative awareness, or with positive and negative awareness, but no
    awareness from a third absolute.

    Joe

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