From: Paul Turner (pauljturner@yahoo.co.uk)
Date: Mon May 12 2003 - 10:44:17 BST
Hi Steve
I personally think that your inside/outside
distinction is a good one to bear in mind when
considering how the MoQ emerges from the Quality
insight described in ZMM. I don't think you should
drop it, if you see it as a philosophological
distinction rather than a metaphysical one.
To me, it emphasises that Pirsig makes a major
contextual shift from an anthropocentric description
of Quality as experience to a universal experience
that applies to all.
Pirsig: 'Reality is always the moment of vision before
the intellectualisation takes place. There is no other
reality. This preintellectual reality is what Phaedrus
felt he had properly identified as Quality.' ZMM Ch 20
This description is of the human experience of Quality
as preintellectual reality. He initially extends this
human experience only to other organisms as an
intellectual analogue:
Pirsig: 'Quality is the response of an organism to its
environment. An amoeba, placed on a plate of water
with a drip of dilute sulfuric acid placed nearby,
will pull away from the acid (I think). If it could
speak the amoeba, without knowing anything about
sulfuric acid, could say, 'This environment has poor
quality.' ZMM Ch 20
To me, it is at this point that the MoQ emerges from
its anthropocentric conception into the possibility of
a full blown metaphysics. In your words, the view from
within becomes the view from outside.
Once this shift has happened Pirsig can then set about
creating the MoQ we find in Lila:
Pirsig: 'Phaedrus saw that the "value" which directed
subatomic particles is not identical with the "value"
a human being gives to a painting. But he saw that the
two are cousins, and that the exact relationship
between them can be defined with great precision.'
Lila Ch 8
The Quality experience is extended, by analogy, to
everything, from subatomic particles to appreciation
of art.
In a similar way, the static-Dynamic division and the
morality insight are extended beyond their
anthropocentric conception to a universal reality by
analogy.
In my opiniion, what your distinction does best is
draw attention to one of the general assumptions that
underpins the MoQ - that 'everything' has a 'view from
within'.
When it comes to understanding the MoQ, I think
anything that draws attention to the general
assumptions it makes can only help bring clarity to
anyone who studies it. And the more people who can
understand the MoQ, the better (starting with me!)
cheers
Paul
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