From: David Buchanan (DBuchanan@ClassicalRadio.org)
Date: Sun Sep 14 2003 - 00:22:49 BST
Paul and all:
(First this quote from Lila chapter 12):
"This classification of patterns is not very original, but the
Metaphysics of Quality allows an assertion about them that is
unusual. It says they are not continuous. They are discrete. They
have very little to do with one another. Although each higher level is
built on a lower one it is not an extension of that lower level. Quite the
contrary. The higher level can often be seen to be in opposition to the
lower level, dominating it, controlling it where possible for its own
purposes".
dmb says:
I think there can be something like observation of the intellect's birth
from the social level in Western history. Or maybe its better to say that
making a distinction between social and intellectual values does quite a lot
to explain things about Western history. Think of the difference between
alchemy and chemistry, for example. Without the social/intellectual
distinction, the former tends to look like the retarded little brother of
the later. But it only looks like that when we assume that its all been a
"muddled shuffle". But when it is understood that alchemy was a spiritual
and psychological practice and was aimed at completely different purposes
than is today's science, we see that they can hardly be compared at all. Or
think of astrology and astronomy. Same thing. Astrology is not bad science.
Its not science at all and was never intended to be. Think of Kings and
democracy. Yes, they are both political arrangements, but they are different
enough that they have different aims and may as well be on different
planets. I think Pirsig is only saying that we get a better idea of what
we're dealing with when we make the social/intellectual distinction. And of
course the historical explanation is still very much with us insofar as
these two discrete levels are still fighting it out.
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