Anthony says to Platt --
> Firstly, you have (yet again) put that weasel word "individual" > in the phrase "a far cry from the MOQ goal of a morality based > on intellectual principles of individual freedom". However, part > of the remit in the MOQ (being a Zen Buddhist derived philosophy) > is to remind us that the concept of "individual" is a convenient fiction > that needs to be recognized as such to reduce karmic suffering. > It should therefore be avoided in the context of the MOQ and > used only with qualification. I take exception to your statement that "individual" is a "weasel word" -- a "convenient fiction" -- particularly in the context of Freedom. This assertion demonstrates once again the failure of Pirsig's philosophy to recognize the individuality of human experience, which is fundamental to a metaphysical understanding of existence. By deferring to the Buddhist notion of karma to "explain away" the individual, you've brought my differences with Eastern mysticism into sharp focus. The doctrine of Karma is the "predetermined fate" of the soul carried through numerous reincarnations, and is therefore directly opposed to the concept of individual freedom. Steve Hagens is quoted as saying in his "Buddhism Plain and Simple": "True freedom doesn't lie in the maximization of choice, but, ironically, is most easily found in a life where there is little choice." If as you say, this view is "described by Pirsig as being the closest Buddhist text in outlook to the MOQ," it points out very clearly why I cannot subscribe to it. Since I maintain that choices express our values, any restriction of free choice is a diminution of value sensibility, which is counter to the principle of a value-directed life. The primary characteristic of existence is its differentiation. In my philosophy, the universe is so designed that subjective awareness is individually separated from its undifferentiated source to provide an extrinsic perspective of absolute Essence. Thus, the life-experience is the singular journey through finitude in which the individual can participate in making Value aware. To escape the vicissitudes of life by denying one's individuality and freedom is to live a meaningless and unfulfilling existence. Regards, Ham Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
