From: Paul Turner (paulj.turner@ntlworld.com)
Date: Mon Sep 01 2003 - 10:59:38 BST
Hi David
Paul continued:
So if we accept "a migration of static patterns toward Dynamic Quality"
as a
viable description of "evolution" then this Pirsig statement...
"...the universe is evolving from a condition of low quality (quantum
forces only, no atoms, pre-big bang) toward a higher one (birds, trees,
societies and thoughts) and in a static sense (world of everyday
affairs) these two are not the same." [Pirsig cited in Ant McWatt's The
Role of Evolution, Time and Order in Pirsig's "Metaphysics of Quality"]
...provides you with an empirically sound assumption for a viable system
of evolutionary morality based on an analogy of Quality rather than of
fixed Truth.
dmb says:
Based on an analogy of Quality rather than fixed truth? You lost me
there. I
understand that evolution is a migration from low to high and that
quantum
forces are not the same as birds, but then you lost me.
Paul:
Fair enough, this needs more explanation. A quick answer (which I'll try
and expand upon later) is that perhaps evolutionary morality can be
understood as favouring the pattern with the least limited scale of
preference in a given situation rather than trying to find the pattern
which has been "proven" to be more evolved by corresponding to a linear
timeline of history which claims objective truth over all other
theories.
The problem with looking for such an objective timeline is that there
are so many on offer. Even radiometric dating produces different
"objective measurements" of the earth's age depending on who measures
and where.
What I'm suggesting is that by focussing observation on value and its
manifestations (from quantum probability all the way through to
economics to metaphysics etc.), it may be possible, in principle, to
"measure" evolution in an entirely novel, yet more empirical way. This
then avoids the evolutionary argument over "which came first?" by
shifting the question to "which is more Dynamic?"
Anyway, just a thought really, a purely hypothetical illustration of how
seeing the world as value instead of substance might change basic
premises of arguments.
Cheers
Paul
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