From: Valence (valence10@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Jul 17 2003 - 00:39:43 BST
Hey Johnny,
J
> 2. Instead of saying that all the patterns exist as intellectual patterns
of
> different levels, isn't it better to use the word consciousness or
awareness
> rather than intellect, thus avoiding having to use the confusing phrase
> "intuitive intellect" to distinguish consciousness from enduring ideas,
and
> saving the term intellect to use for thoughts about society, thoughts only
> possible after the establishment of the third level?
R
Agreed. Unless one concludes that "the intellectual level" is the same as
the "intellectual" described in the 'pre/post intellectual' split (as Jon
Marder does), or that "intellectual" is an inappropriate name for the 4th
level entirely which is better called something else (like Sam's Eudemonia)
than Pirsig's choice of terms creates a confusing equivocation over the term
"intellectual". Choosing a replacement for either of these terms is a
tricky business (especially with this group). As to your suggestions of
consciousness and awareness, I don't like 'awareness' because it would
reduce "pre/post-intellectual awareness" to simply "pre/post awareness" and
that seems to convey the wrong message to me. "Pre-awareness" sounds like
something you aren't even yet aware of (or some kind of psychic phenomenon)
and I don't think that's quite right. It's not that you're "unaware" of
what's on the "pre" side of the split, it's that you have yet to 'carve it
up' in your mind. "Consciousness" might be a better term (ie.
pre/post-conscious awareness), and seems to fit with Pirsig's idea of dreams
as a widow on DQ (which alludes to when he discuss his 'Giant' dreams). But
I would suggest replacing "pre/post-intellectual" with the term
"pre/post-interpretational". I suggest that term based on the first
paragraph of LILA, chapter 8, "...But we see subjects and objects as reality
for the same reason we see the world right-side up although the lenses of
our eyes actually present it to our brains upside down. We get so used to
certain patterns of interpretation we forget the patterns are there." Now,
instead of saying that there are 'intellectual patterns at different levels'
we can say there are 'interpretive patterns at different levels'. Instead
of saying that Quality is the 'pre-intellectual' cutting edge of reality, we
can say it is the 'pre-interpretive cutting edge'. Instead of speaking of
"pre-intellectual awareness" we can speak of "pre-interpretive awareness".
What do you think?
take care
rick
Imagination is the living power and prime agent of all human perception. -
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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