From: Joseph Maurer (jhmau@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Thu Mar 03 2005 - 20:23:36 GMT
On Wednesday 2 March 2005 2:50 PM Platt writes to Joe:
Hi Platt and all:
[Platt] First, thanks for responding to my question. To date, no one else
has
offered an opinion. That said, I'm baffled by some of your comments.
[Joe] Your welcome! Morality is a subject that interests me very much.
> IMO 'Feelings' is a word much open to variable interpretations. I think of
> the levels of evolution as proposed by Pirsig and ways to discuss them in
> more precise terms. All levels described by Pirsig have evolved from the
> inorganic level through three barriers or boundaries. They all originate
> in
> the inorganic level.
[Platt] This suggests that a form of primitive intellect exists at the
inorganic
level that emerges as fully developed in humans. Is this your view?
[Joe] Yes! consciousness of intellect is in the inorganic level. IMO it adds
ID to the inorganic level.
> The inorganic level is like variations in gravity. Something evolves from
> gravity becoming another level. I think purpose best describes the first
> break through gravity. The movement to eat evolves the organic level. An
> interpretant of that purpose I call 'sensation'. The organic level is like
> variations in purpose.
[Platt] This raises the question, "How can purpose evolve from a
nonpurposeful
gravity?"
[Joe] Consciousness of purpose is contained in consciousness of gravity.
Purpose (feeding) is only found in the organic order. A consciousness of
purpose becomes more manifest in the organic order. In gravity only
direction is evident.
> Something evolves from 'purpose' becoming another level. I think
> 'existence' best describes that first break through purpose. The movement
> to order evolves the social level. Mother, father, child are interpretants
> of that existence I call 'emotion'. The social level is ordered by a
> center
> of gravity in existence. She is president. The social level has its center
> of gravity in interpretations of the order of existence. The nose knows!
[Platt] This I don't understand.
[Joe] Consciousness of existence is contained in consciousness of
gravity-purpose. Sometimes the nose is the best organ for discovering order.
Even social actions sometimes have a bad smell when they are particularly
immoral. However, order-existence represents my consciousness of the social
level.
> Something evolves from 'existence' becoming another level. I think
> unfinished s/o describes that first break through existence. Creation in
> the intellectual order flows from the sense of 'unfinished', I want to do
> more. Creation has its center of gravity in thoughts through the sense of
> 'unfinished'. Order leads to creation by awareness.
[Platt]This baffles me, too.
[Joe] Consciousness of creation (unfinished) is contained in consciousness
of gravity-purpose-existence. I was trying to represent the motivation for
'creation' as motivation to complete the 'unfinished', an impulse to do
more.
[Platt] So my question whether truth and morality should be based on reason
or
feelings or a combination of both is unanswerable. You may be right. If we
look to Pirsig for an answer, we come up empty. On one hand he says
reason can guide us to morality. On the other he says feelings can guide
us to truth. I have trouble reconciling the two.
[Joe] Pirsig points to a Consciousness of levels for morality. I like his
direction..
Joe
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