Bodvar Skutvik (skutvik@online.no)
Fri, 24 Oct 1997 17:24:34 +0100
Anders wrote (to Doug) :
> > 1. Pirsig's extended discussion on the battle between the Zuni priests
> > and the brujo. The social immune system was 'aware' of the new
> > intellectual pattern threat to their control by the brujo's new ideas.
>
> Wasn't this more a case of resistance to influence by Dynamic Quality? (the
> whole latching idea).
I had started to write in response to Doug's examples (in LILA)
of the social level being "aware" of the Intellectual one, but in
the meantime Anders suggested that the Zuņi priest example is an
example of resistance to Dynamic Quality. Anders is right,
what that particular passage really tells about is Pirsig's
conception of the Dynamic/Static dualism (after he had rejected the
Romantic/Classic split).
But Doug's observation is highly interesting. What you say
about the Social Level's "immune system" is valid. Diana
and I covered the "awareness" question a while back and I
still maintain that from within, each level only sees itself. To
society everything in the universe is social value (of course society
knows about Life and Matter, but they are what leads up to socity,
while Intellect is not recognized - as such - except as dangerous
social experimenting.
The Zuņi priests saw themselves as preservers of the tribe's values
and looked upon the Brujo's insolence as a threat to their static
SOCIETY. They did not recognize his effort as a necessary adjustment
to a new factor that - if not heeded - would destroy the tribe (the
white man's culture) Or - as the MOQ can - regard him as an
Intellectual whose ideas forced a society to change.
This goes for Galileo/Catholic Church conflict too. As a SOCIAL
institution the Church regarded Galileo as SOCIALLY destructive. It's
impossible for a society to recognize anything except "good for
(that) society" or "bad for (that) society". There possibly was an
individual Cardinal or a Pope who silently recognized his
intellectual achievement - even foresaw the development -
but when doing so, they did it from the Intellectual mode (of value).
The moment they were assembled to vote for excommunication og Galileo
they had put on the social hat again.
The fact that Galileo later - from the victorious Intellectual Level
- is declared a hero just proves the point, this historical event is
now regarded as infringement of Intellectual value (freedom). The
Intellect peers down its own nose and sees everything as good or bad
for the Intellectual Values. However the MOQ is a tool that makes us
able to see this connection and give unto Caesar ....each level what
belongs to that level.
Thanks for reading
Bodvar.
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