From: Arlo J. Bensinger (ajb102@psu.edu)
Date: Thu Nov 18 2004 - 04:55:39 GMT
Hi Platt,
"There are no absolutes" is itself an absolute, eh? I guess I can't really argue
that :-)
For the record, I do believe there are absolute statements we can make, such as
"freedom is better than slavery". What I urge caution with are the extensions
of these absolutes in this way: if freedom is better than slavery, and we are
freer in America than the people of China, then we are superior to them, their
culture, their beliefs, and everything about "them". Or by extensions such as:
if we are freer in America than China, then it must mean that white people are
superior to asians.
In short, I'd make the absolute statement: Just because there exists absolutes,
does not make everything absolutely dichotomous.
> Of course, let's not make Pirsig "heroified." :-)
I think Pirsig expended effort in LILA to ensure this would not happen. In both
books (if I recall) he mentions how readers should never see it "as anything
more than one person writing in one time" (or something to that effect), and in
LILA he describes his "whoring" (Rigel's view) as a way of showing the readers
he is not some abstract hero, but a flesh and blood man who "pisses, farts and
fucks" (again, something like that). "Wouldn't his readers love to see the
great author now?"
One does not have to be heroified to be greatly admired, respected and listened
to.
And sorry if I came across as condescending. I was shooting for "exasperrated",
and must've shot too far. ;-)
Arlo
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archives:
Aug '98 - Oct '02 - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
Nov '02 Onward - http://www.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/summary.html
MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Thu Nov 18 2004 - 04:58:14 GMT