From: Wim Nusselder (wim.nusselder@antenna.nl)
Date: Thu Jun 05 2003 - 07:08:55 BST
Dear Steve & Scott & others involved in this thread,
Steve wrote 4 Jun 2003 18:28:47 -0400:
'Free Will seems to be one of those SOM Platypi--the sort of issue that gets
resolved in the MOQ.'
Pirsig indeed pretends to have dissolved this platypus in chapter 12 of
'Lila':
'In the Metaphysics of Quality this dilemma doesn't come up. To the extent
that one's behavior is controlled by static patterns of quality it is
without choice. But to the extent that one follows Dynamic Quality, which is
undefinable, one's behavior is free.'
Steve continued:
'It seems that the question, "do we have free will" needs to be unasked
within the MOQ context. Or at least reworked.
In the MOQ, a sense of free will is an intellectual pattern of value. It
can be recognized whenever we think, "I did it because..." a phrase which is
the basis of all intellectual patterns of value since they are latched as
copied rationales'.
Scott gave 4 Jun 2003 19:22:15 -0600 as alternative reworking of the
question:
'I suggest replacing the phrase "free will" with "creativity". And only
Quality is creative. We are just local passageways for creativity to be
creative. We make a mistake by trying to own it, which leads us to wonder
how much "freedom" we have. One can just as well say we have none or we have
all. The error is to think that there is some "thing" called "me" that "has"
choices. The choices exist in their own right.'
I prefer Scott's reworking to Steve's.
To the extent that one's behavior follows intellectual patterns of value
(i.e. can be redescribed as motivated action) it is still determined even
though from a social level perspective (compared with habitual, unthinking
behavior) it is free (from social patterns of value).
Would you agree with substituting 'Dynamic Quality' for 'Quality' however,
Scott? That would associate 'DQ' with 'creativity' and 'static quality' with
'the created' and 'Quality' with all of existence/experience. Indeed:
existence is then 'creation' without 'creator' or other 'choosing unit
with/without Free Will'.
With friendly greetings,
Wim
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