From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Sat Jul 03 2004 - 15:42:43 BST
Hi Anthony,
Thanks for furnishing more information about Harris in answer to my
request. I appreciate the time and trouble you took.
I'll refrain from commenting on the specifics of your post because it
occurred to me that a larger issue may be at stake. At the beginning of
your post your wrote:
> I think the primary consideration is to
> concentrate on improving the general quality of life (i.e. by employing the
> MOQ) rather than getting too hung up on any previous economic systems.
This and your support of socialism and mine of capitalism brings up a
more general question that I hope you (and perhaps others) will comment
on, namely the following quote from Lila, Chap. 29 in which Pirsig writes:
"He wanted particularly to see how much actual evidence there was for the
statement that James's whole purpose was to "unite science and religion."
That claim had turned him against James years ago, and he didn't like it any
better now. When you start out with an axe like that to grind, it's almost
guaranteed that you will conclude with something false. The statement
seemed more like some philosophological simplification written by someone
with a weak understanding of what philosophy is for. To put philosophy in the
service of any social organization or any dogma is immoral. It's a lower form
of evolution trying to devour a higher one." (Lila, 29)
If our mutual "ax to grind" is using the MOQ to "improve the general
quality of life" are we, in effect, "putting philosophy in the service of
a social organization--you in socialism and me in capitalism--with dogmas
attending both sides?
Perhaps your study of the MOQ and correspondence with Pirsig will shed
some light on whether we, in asserting our strong but opposing political
views using the MOQ as support, are in some sense employing a "lower form
of evolution to devour a higher one."
If not, then it's back to the fun of arguing about the relative merits and
moral values of our respective positions, drawing upon the MOQ for
validity when it suits our purpose.
Thanks,
Platt
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