From: David Buchanan (DBuchanan@ClassicalRadio.org)
Date: Sun Nov 21 2004 - 00:56:11 GMT
Scott, mel and any MOQer who feels stung:
But gents, the whole idea of the MOQ goes beyond the traditional views.
Where faith and intellect are at war, Pirsig has given us a philosophical
mysticism, a spirituality that is based in experience and is intellectually
defensible. On the matter of politics, Pirsig has provided a hierarchy that
allows us to see the conflict of levels behind the impasses. The problem
here is that posters have ignored all that in favor of the entrenched
positions that we are trying to overcome in the first place.
I mean, if we look at Pirsig's descriptions of the anti-intellectualism in
the Scopes trial, in the critics of FDR and his New Deal, and in Hitler's
every move, I think we can see the same thing in our own time. If we look at
what Pirsig says about faith, theism, insanity and cultural filters on the
one hand and what he says about mysticism, the dharmakaya light and
enlightenment on the other hand, I think we can conclude that.. Well, lets
just say the MOQ does not support the ditto-heads and if Bush isn't an
anti-intellectal Victorian reactionary then I will eat my bible.
I mean, rise above it? I wish. I think we have a major problem here in that
so many poster hold and assert positions that are quite contrary to the MOQ.
Remember when that neo-nazi racist came along and believed his views are the
MOQ. That's about how it makes me feel when I see MOQers defending stupid
things like ritualistic religion, Rush Limbaugh, the current unjustified and
counterproductive war, and all manner of social level irrationalities. I
thought we were supposed to be philosophers, not rationalizers.
Sorry, but I'm sincerely troubled by it.
I'm not saying you have to be a liberal intellectual to be a MOQ, but
certain views are ruled out by it. Its not about who gets to be a member of
the club, its about taking an honest and responsible approach to the
structure and meaning of the ideas that make up the MOQ. If it has all the
precision and power of a motorcycle, then it also has a certain integrity
and it can only take so much banging and tinkering before the thing breaks
down. While there is a wide range of accessories we could add or
improvements we can make, there is an infinately wider range of things we
can do to ruin it. Trying to put religion, political reaction, or any other
anti-intellectualism back into is certainly one of those ruinous moves. Its
like trying to "improve" a motorcyle by hitching it up to a horse or
removing one of its wheels.
The MOQ puts philosophical mysticism over thesim and intellectually guided
societies over traditionally guided ones. Learn it. Deal with it. Accept it.
And then give it up with the horses, will ya?
I'm not necessarily talking to Scott and mel. It goes out to anyone who was
stung by it. If this makes you uncomfortable, then I'm talking to you. And
since Sam is apparently quite comfortable making "improvements" to the MOQ,
I'll add that I am most certainly talking to him anyway.
growl, growl, snap.
dmb
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