From: Erin N. (enoonan@kent.edu)
Date: Sat Jul 19 2003 - 23:49:31 BST
>===== Original Message From moq_discuss@moq.org =====
>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. :-)
>
dmb,
did you notice how each character changed a little
at the end. Is it at all possible that Pheadrus
could have changed too.
I guess I see Pirsig stirring pot with all three
characters. But to you Phaedrus is perfect and
there is no room for growth. Phaedrus is a character to me. Pirsig is the
author of that character. I put the quote from Pirsig about he was
disappointed
that people thought he was Pheadrus. That he
was Pheadrus, Rigel, and Lila. Therefore I do put a
little more weight on what I hear comes out of his mouth
directly/ what is said more recently.
Erin
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