From: Steve Peterson (peterson.steve@verizon.net)
Date: Thu Nov 06 2003 - 21:49:52 GMT
Hi Nathan, All,
Nathan said:
> Well, I just finished ZMM. I read the last paragraph this afternoon. So,
> what is there to say. I'm not sure I liked it. There were parts that were
> excellent and parts that were too turgid for my taste, but who am I to say
> what turgid is?
>
> I want to ask you whether you would say that 'soul' is another word for what
> ZMM calls Quality? And I am having trouble with 'expectation' as the
> synonym. Could you perhaps elaborate?
I don't particularly like 'expectation' though Johnny Moral seems to get a
lot of mileage out of it. I certainly don't think it is a key to unlocking
ZMM. 'Soul' doesn't get me anywhere in understanding Quality. See below.
It's interesting that you're not sure that you liked ZMM. The sense I
sometimes get from those on the list is that the world would be better off
if everyone read it (and Lila as well) which reminds me of those folks who
try to get people to read the Bible. The Bible isn't likely to mean
anything to the hypothetical non-Christian who is finally convinced to pick
it up. He won't even get passed so and so begat so and so before he is
completely turned off by it. I wonder how many people are turned off by
Pirsig's books for each of us who found his books to be so mind-blowing.
The AP English students at my high school (I teach math and statistics) read
ZMM (though not part IV which the teacher says isn't so great). I was
excited to hear that our kids are reading it, but was disappointed after
talking to to many of them about it because none of them were crazy about
the book.
At first I thought that they were too young to get it. But our AP kids are
sharp and are capable of following the reasoning, so its not about smarts.
I think it's more an issue of having a sense of the cultural disease that is
being diagnosed. I think to appreciate Pirsig, you have to come into it
already uncomfortable with the answers that modern secular thinking gives us
about the world and ourselves.
So, Nathan, is your ambivalence about ZMM that you're not sure about the
existence of a disease or not convinced that Pirsig has suggested a workable
cure?
Also, I understand that you're not sure what Pirsig means by Quality. Here
I'd like to give a an explanation of Pirsig's philosophy in100 words or
less. I'd like to...
I may give it a try later, but I think there are others (especially Platt
and Paul) who could do a better job.
Fellow MOQers, what do you say when someone asks you what Pirsig is about?
Do you have a brief lecture at the ready for social situations that will
pique the interest of friends and relatives rather than put them to sleep?
Regards,
Steve
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