From: Wim Nusselder (wim.nusselder@antenna.nl)
Date: Tue May 20 2003 - 07:11:19 BST
Dear Sam,
Part 4 of my reply to your essay
(http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/elizaphanian/Eudaimonic-moq.htm) as copied to
the list (by me) in 4 parts 9 Apr 2003 22:33:54 +0200, 9 Apr 2003 22:34:14
+0200, 10 Apr 2003 22:13:44 +0200 and 10 Apr 2003 22:13:57 +0200.
CRITICISMS OF THIS PROPOSAL
My criticism of your Eudaimonic MoQ is a combination of the first two 'knock
down' objections you describe:
'1. Pirsig's description of the fourth level as intellect includes
non-rational and non-scientific understandings; that is, Pirsig's account
includes emotional maturity as a constituent part; 'intellect' includes the
human flourishing that I refer to; and therefore my objection is just a
question of semantics, a 'bickering about words'.
2. Human flourishing (eudaimonia) is just a high quality static latch within
the social level; eudaimonic qualities just refer to high quality social
units; eudaimonic values are simply particular types of social value. The
intellect is still at a level above all this. The problems listed earlier
are all solvable.'
For me 'intellectual' is just a name for Pirsig's fourth level. I take his
description to be:
'the collection and manipulation of symbols, created in the brain, that
stand for patterns of experience'.
The 4th level is 'intellectual' because intellectual constructs are only
meaningful at that level. That doesn't mean that other phenomena (like
emotion) have no 'reality' at that level, but only that 'intellectual'
refers to phenomena that are the best examples of phenomena that have no
'reality' at lower levels.
I avoid 'intellect', because that refers (for me) also to a 2nd level
phenomenon. It is a characteristic that differentiates between homo sapiens
and other species.
Human flourishing for me is not a high quality static latch within the
social level, but within the 'intellectual' level. I indeed think the
problems you listed are better solved in my version of the MoQ than in yours
and that my version differs less from 'the standard account' than yours and
better deserves the name 'MoQ'.
To be continued.
With friendly greetings,
Wim
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