From: Valuemetaphysics@aol.com
Date: Mon Oct 27 2003 - 18:49:55 GMT
In a message dated 10/26/03 5:40:28 PM GMT Standard Time, pholden@sc.rr.com
writes:
> Hi All,
>
> In his new book, "Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in
> the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950," Charles Murray concludes that
> a whopping 72 percent of the significant figures in the arts and
> sciences came from just four European countries: Britain, France,
> Germany and Italy. However, the rate of achievement in these countries
> appeared to plummet in the mid-19th century due to a collapse of social
> values and the advent of nihilism. When Christianity began to lose its
> appeal, things began to go downhill because Christianity provided
> incentives to achieve: not only a sense of autonomy and purpose but a
> coherent vision of what Murray calls "the transcendental goods" --
> truth, beauty and the good. A culture lacking such vision tends to
> produce art that is shallow, vulgar and sterile, Murray says,
> describing it as the difference between "Macbeth"and "kill Bill." "It's
> only being infused with that moral vision that 'Macbeth' is 'Macbeth,'
> " Murray writes. "Otherwise it's just people killing each other."
>
> The above is taken from a review in today's NY Times. Pirsig also
> traces the decline in social values with the rise of anti-religious
> intellectualism, and attempts with MOQ to bring back a sense of
> "transcendental goods" as well as a moral vision. That such vision is
> lacking today is clearly revealed in the postmodernist's view where
> such fundamentals as truth, beauty and good are considered relative and
> therefore futile to discuss.
>
> Platt
>
Hi Platt,
Quite simply, thank you.
Mark
P.S. Is this a morality i see before me? ;)
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