From: Michael Hamilton (thethemichael@gmail.com)
Date: Tue May 17 2005 - 11:12:21 BST
Hi Arlo, Dallas and any others.
With the help of your comments and a little re-reading of Lila, I've
resolved my problem. It arose because I conflated Dynamic Quality, the
leading edge of reality, with the five senses that "hook us up" to this
reality. This happened due to Pirsig's phrase "the leading edge of
experience", which is a fine description of Quality so long as we don't
assume that experience is confined to sensory perception, like I did. It's
an easy mistake to make, because the MOQ is an empirically derived
metaphysics, but it must be remembered that the MOQ also accomodates
intellect, and intellect has revealed to us that not all aspects of Quality
are available to our everyday sensory experience.
Which brings me on to Arlo's excellent example of radio waves:
"A culture that values [radio waves] makes them
salient as symbolically represented *intellectual patterns only* [emphasis
mine], and
through this we can build machines that utilize them, but the actual
"experience" of radio waves lies well outside our sensory abilities."
I agree wholeheartedly that radio waves are an intellectual pattern of
value, but I'd just like to add that as intellectual patterns, they have
high value because they explain empirical phenomena, that is to say, they
explain observed aspects of Dynamic Quality. Humans do not biologically
value them, but we can observe their effects, and this confirms that there
are aspects of reality (Quality) that fall outside that which we value
biologically (via our senses). So sensory experience is not equal to
Quality, but the senses give us access to the necessary (i.e. biologically
valuable) apects of Quality. The senses implant some of Quality into us, if
you like.
Dallas, I now realise that you meant the same thing when you said "we have
biological patterns but they are of extremely high dynamic quality". I would
do well to remember "the zone", something Pirsig refers to as well in ZMM,
when thinking of the potential of humans to "align" with the Quality
reality. As you imply, this occurs when biological, social and intellectual
patterns are in harmony; when intellect plays its part without unnecessarily
dominating the vital data supplied by the senses.
Arlo, I think this was quite insightful:
"Finally, on all levels (IBSI) DQ is what leads evolution to expand
"experience" on those levels. If we could only respond to- biologically-
that which we could sense, and- intellectually- that which we have
symbolic representations for, there would be no evolution. We would not
be stuck where we are, we would never have gotten here in the first place."
You basically gave me the answer there, but I had to do a good deal of
thinking and reading before I could understand it for myself.
Regards,
Mike
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