From: David Harding (davidharding@optusnet.com.au)
Date: Sat Aug 13 2005 - 06:58:27 BST
Hi Paul,
Your writing impresses me, so I find it interesting when there is a digression between us. In this case it appears namely your defining of Dynamic Quality.
Previously Paul wrote:
> I think the apprehension of undivided DQ, the emptying out of static
> patterned divisions, is only privileged to the extent that it allows new and
> better static patterns to emerge.
If you say "Dynamic Quality is *only* good to the *extent* it improves things" I don't think this is right. I think that such a statement leads to mistaking the patterns for the DQ they're their to
preserve. If you emphasize Dynamic Quality just because of its improvement to the patterns, then how can you ever know when to stop changing the patterns and take stock if your always looking at the
patterns and not the wider picture. In Zen this is negatively called "bad karma chasing it's tail" and is thus not DQ.
Paul continued:
> I don't think Pirsig thinks it is the
> ultimate goal or the terminus of Zen discipline or art or any other
> activity.
I think that it is the ultimate goal. In fact the next sentence from you was Pirsig's quote which says it is the ultimate goal from a static point of view.
But, as you seem to hint at, it doesn't end there, because as he says 'once enlightened, Dynamic Quality is supplanted by moral perfection' (Copleston).
Also I think Pirsig does think it's the 'terminus of art'.
As Pirsig says in Lila:
"Finally there's a fourth Dynamic morality which isn't a code. He
supposed you could call it a "code of Art" or something like that,
but art is usually thought of as such a frill that that title
undercuts its importance."
However, just because he says it is a goal, or a 'terminus', this does not imply that the patterns don't matter from a Dynamic understanding. This is why "..the ultimate Quality isn't a noun or an
adjective or anything else definable".. "but if you had to.. good is a noun". You can't completely run away from the patterns, although Art is a 'DQ terminus' we still call it Art and so it's
importance (not more than DQ) still applies.
Regards,
-David
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