From: Paul Turner (paulj.turner@ntlworld.com)
Date: Mon Jun 21 2004 - 10:52:02 BST
Hello DMB, Mark
I think Mark is the best person to answer your question, but I'll give
you a *very* brief summary of my understanding of his key ideas. Mark,
please correct me if I'm wrong.
First, I think Mark proposes that the meanings of "coherent" and
"coherence" are extended to become philosophic terms.
Merriam-Webster defines them as such:
Coherent
Function: adjective
1a : logically or aesthetically ordered or integrated
Coherence
Function: noun
1 : the quality or state of cohering : as a : systematic or logical
connection or consistency b : integration of diverse elements,
relationships, or values
I think Mark sees how these words connote something similar to Quality,
but in a more familiar way, and in a way that is more widely used,
academically and generally. Mark then identifies the use of the term,
"sweet spot," as a measure of what he terms, "exceptional coherence."
Through these terms he is able to link Pirsig's MOQ to terminology not
restricted to this forum and then use accounts and testimonies from
diverse sources to provide evidence to support Pirsig's metaphysics.
Secondly, Mark sees coherence not only as the mark of exceptional
experience but as the active centre of evolution.
In his own words:
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"If a pattern is in too static a relationship, it ... is evolutionary
dead. If the pattern is in too unstable a relationship, it [becomes too
Dynamic to latch].
The sweet spot is postulated as a coherent state somewhere between these
two extremes. At the sweet spot of Dynamic Quality (DQ), a pattern is
neither too static or unstable. It is here that a process is most
efficient, art more beautiful and life more serene.
According to Pirsig, evolution also tends towards DQ. Therefore, sweet
spots may be viewed as the immediate cutting pressure in the
evolutionary process."
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Mark further explores the idea of coherence in terms of the static
levels, and in examining accounts of, "sweet spots," sees that coherence
occurs across Pirsig's levels:
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"The deep natural impulse towards order that complexity indicates may be
better restated as a balance between SQ patterns. The impulse is DQ and
the order is SQ.
At the sweet spot of the tennis racquet during the moment of impact,
inorganic patterns comprising the structure of the artefact are in a
high state of coherence with the organic patterns of the player. The
Quality stimulus of all these patterns (taken as a unitary system) has
coalesced into a coherent aesthetic state."
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Finally, Mark observes that coherence may operate in a moment, such as
hitting a home run, or over longer periods. One can imagine momentous
occasions in history occurring due to a sweet spot lasting months or
even years, from the emergence of DNA to a political administration
pushing forward reforms.
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"If this coherent state is achievable in all levels (inorganic, organic,
social and intellectual) then it becomes possible to imagine a cycle of
harmonic coherence throughout the evolution of all levels. Such a cycle
of coherence/incoherence would describe the dominant patterns exerting
influence in particular relationships. Such relationships may vary over
the cycle of a human day, year, lifetime, individual, organisation or
institution."
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Once again Mark, apologies if I've distorted your ideas.
Regards
Paul
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