From: Wim Nusselder (wim.nusselder@antenna.nl)
Date: Thu Jan 15 2004 - 22:09:34 GMT
Dear Steve,
You asked me 20 Dec 2003 16:51:18 -0500 to clarify my 19 Dec 2003 21:16:38
+0100 quote from 'Lila' chapter 11, in which Pirsig explains 'migration of
static patterns of value towards DQ', by giving an example of a pattern of
value that is more versatile than another.
Homo sapiens appears to be more versatile than any other biological pattern
of value. It may even survive on Mars at near-prohibitive cost. The reason
is not because this biological pattern of value has in itself so much power
to control hostile forces, but because it calls in social and intellectual
paterns of value that are more versatile than any biological pattern of
value could be (as DNA stays a chemical compound existing of only 4
different types of amino acids) and that are impervious to inorganic hostile
forces (because they share no 'machine language interface' with inorganic
patterns of value, they cannot disintegrate into inorganic components).
You also ask whether you 'would ... be correct in saying that versatility is
an openness to dynamic improvement?'
As non-native English speaker I don't know how far the meaning of that word
can be stretched. I would translate it more literally (I hope) as 'ability
to survive under different circumstances' or 'flexibility'. It seems to me
that a versatile pattern of value does not improve itself (because then it
wouldn't be recognizable as the same static pattern any more), but gives
rise to or participate in more new patterns (E.g. multicellularity is more
versatile than unicellularity, because it increased the diversity of
species.)
And 'could [you] interpret "static patterns migrating towards DQ" as meaning
that newer patterns tend to be better than older ones?'
Only to the extent that you interpret 'better' as 'more dynamic'...
The average balance between DQ and sq in patterns of value changes from more
sq (stability, power to prevent disintegration into lower level components)
and less DQ (versatility, ability to create/participate in new/higher level
patterns of value) to less sq and more DQ. The 'new' patterns (that survive)
are added to the 'old' patterns (that survive) however; the old ones stay
necessary. Without static patterns to create and participate in Dynamic, in
creation of and participation in higher level patterns of value, no Dynamic,
no creation and no higher level patterns of value are possible. So it is
also 'good' and even essential that (some) 'older' patterns survive and not
necessarily better to substitute them with 'newer' ones.
Patterns of value are BOTH static (stable) AND dynamic (versatile).
Dynamic/static and versatile/stable are opposites without middle ground and
still they don't exclude each other. 'Migration towards DQ' in only a
metaphor with limited applicability.
With friendly greetings,
Wim
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