Re: MD Quality as such or Dynamic Quality?

From: Sam Norton (elizaphanian@kohath.wanadoo.co.uk)
Date: Fri Apr 08 2005 - 08:31:30 BST

  • Next message: Sam Norton: "Re: MD Static and dynamic aspects of mysticism and religious experience"

    Hi Steve,

    Firstly, emphatic agreement on one point: you say "the solution for me is
    not a 'Metaphysics of Quality' but a Wisdom Tradition of Quality." Amen,
    Amen, Amen; I say again, Amen.

    Have you read my essay on the website entitled 'the eudaimonic MoQ'? I think
    you might find it interesting.

    However, you go on to say "Metaphysics as the title implies articulate
    thought only and we know that's not all Pirsig wants to get across". I
    believe that to be true (at least on Pirsig's good days) but I don't think
    that, in practice, all the contributors here would agree. That's the source
    of much of our bickering.

    Some minor points.

    > Funny, I always though of this dynamic / provisional approach to knowledge
    > as Socratic inquiry. Plato really does get attached to his own ideas, but
    > the Socrates that comes trough in the earlier dialogues is more interested
    > in developing a correct method of inquiry rather than definitive answers.

    Except that Socrates wants definitions as answers, not examples of use. (eg
    'what is justice' - he's not happy with being shown the practices where the
    word justice has its employment, he wants a universally valid *dialectical*
    definition). That's why Socrates is one of the bad guys (at least for the
    Narrator in ZMM, if not for the Phaedrus of Lila).

    > So, that the MOQ incorporates this provisionality does not seem to me so
    > earth shattering.

    It's not unique, but it is one way of breaking from the Socratic tradition.

    > All we have to say to allow the MOQ to remain 'open-ended
    > ' is that the unexplored Dragon land just contains more static patters of
    > value ad infinitum; even higher orders than intellectual maybe. DQ and SQ
    > are not opposites like male and female or black and white, they are
    > different in kind.

    This is one of those things that I have found Scott Roberts, in particular,
    to be illuminating on. I'd be interested if he had any specific comments on
    this bit of the thread.

    Cheers
    Sam

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