Re: MD Pirsig's conception of ritual

From: Elizaphanian (elizaphanian@tiscali.co.uk)
Date: Sun Feb 16 2003 - 18:19:35 GMT

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    Hi Wim,

    > I agree that ritual (according to Pirsig)
    > 1) is A static latch of the social level (not THE static latch) and
    > 2) preserves TOGETHER WITH OTHER STATIC LATCHES particular SOCIETIES (the
    > same static latch may be found in different societies),
    > 3) that putting social patterns of values to sleep is A way of attaining
    > freedom from them (presumably an Eastern way), not THE way of doing so,
    > 4) that ritual is ALSO A STATIC LATCH of the intellectual level and MAY in
    > that sense be A parent of the intellectual level (SOME intellectual
    > principles are derived from ritual practices) and
    > 5) that religious rituals are A WAY of enabling 'socially
    pattern-dominated
    > people' to see Dynamic Quality.
    >
    > I agree with Pirsig, except for the 'socially pattern-dominated people'. I
    > would formulate that as 'people, to the extent that they participated in
    > social patterns of value'.

    Thanks for this.

    On 1, I'm not sure that I agree. Does Pirsig anywhere describe a social
    level static pattern that could not be described as a 'ritual'? If he does,
    then my summary does need to be amended, on 1 and 2. (I'm pretty sure Pirsig
    sees religious rituals as only one type of ritual).
    On 3, again, is this Pirsig's explicit view? (perhaps I should supplement
    the name of this thread with 'as described in Chapter 30' for I have not
    gone back through the other chapters yet).
    On 4, I can't recall Pirsig saying that rituals are static latches for the
    intellectual level. Which doesn't mean he hasn't. Can you point me to the
    reference? Also, Pirsig says ritual might be 'THE connecting link'. So on
    this point I think use of 'the' is justified.
    On 5, that seems fair.

    Sam

    "I am not altogether on anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on my
    side, if you understand me... And there are some things, of course, whose
    side I'm altogether not on; I am against them altogether." -- Treebeard

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