Re: MD What is a living being?

From: Dan Glover (daneglover@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon May 05 2003 - 05:40:25 BST

  • Next message: johnny moral: "RE: MD What is a living being?"

    Hi Richard, Phyllis, Rick, and everyone,

    >From: Richard Loggins <brloggins@yahoo.com>
    >Reply-To: moq_discuss@moq.org
    >To: moq_discuss@moq.org
    >Subject: Re: MD What is a living being?
    >Date: Sun, 4 May 2003 12:09:38 -0700 (PDT)
    >
    >Rick, Dan, Phyllis,Pirsigs "life is that which has been configured by DNA"
    >is necessary but not sufficient for a definition of life under the
    >standards set by SOM. But Struan's very "dead" cat might be an example of
    >life according to the MOQ standards! Remember that Pirsig never thought the
    >larger pattern of his son was dead even after he went up the crematorium
    >chimney. People should start thinking outside the SOM box when they reads
    >statements by Pirsig. What might sound like a mistake may instead throw a
    >whole new light on our worldview.Rich

    The way I understand it, "has" is being used as third person present tense
    while "been" is being used as a present participle, so I don't think Mr.
    Pirsig made a mistake. On the other hand, good point about the larger
    pattern not being dead.

    Valence <valence10@hotmail.com> wrote:Hey Dan and Phyllis,
    >
    >Isn't a dead cat matter that *was* configured by DNA? For example, if I cut
    >the skin of a living cat, it's body will heal because it is still being
    >configured by the DNA that tells it how to behave. If I cut the skin of a
    >dead cat, no healing will ever occur because it's no longer being
    >configured
    >by the DNA that tells it how to behave.

    Right. Struan's dead cat HAD been configured by DNA. Actually I thought
    about suggesting to Mr. Pirsig that the statement be changed to "is being"
    rather than "has been" but upon further reflection the statement seemed
    correct as is and my suggestion unnecessary.

    Dan

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