From: David Buchanan (DBuchanan@ClassicalRadio.org)
Date: Sat Jul 19 2003 - 22:48:15 BST
Erin, Steve and all:
dmb had said:
As Pirsig explains, the whole point of writing the book was to explain why
people have different perceptions of quality. And his basic answer is that
"everybody is after quality", but some people, like the fictional Lila,
don't see intellectual quality at all. "beyond her range", as Pirsig put it.
"intellectually, she's nowhere", he says. He says "she's pretty far down the
scale" socially too.
Erin asked:
Pirsig defined the intellecutal level and according to HIS definition I
would
put Lila as "somewhere" on the intellectual level. Do you agree with his
definition?
dmb replies:
The problem is that Pirsig, quite plainly and explicitly, contradicts your
assertion. He doesn't put Lila "somewhere" on the 4th level. Not even close.
He puts her "nowhere". And he does so more than once. In the front of
chapter 13 he writes, "Does Lila have Quality? Biologically she does,
socially she doesn't. Obviously! Evolutionary morality just splits that
whole question open like a watermelon. .. Biologicall she's fine, socially
she's pretty far down the scale, INTELLECTUALLY SHE'S NOWHERE." And again at
the front of chapter 17 he reasserts the same notion. "She missed the whole
point of everything. She's after Quality, like everybody else, but she
defines it entirely in biological terms. She DOESN'T SEE INTELLECTUAL
QUALITY AT ALL. Its outside her range. She doesn't even see social quality."
I honestly don't know how you can contradict the author so dramatically and
obviously while insisting "HIS" definition supports it. Or at least I don't
know how you can to it with a straight face. :-)
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