>>Let me tell you one reason why I don't like the
>> "help-yourself" part of the American dream. For almost a thousand
>> years we in this northern corner of Europe-  and far longer more to
>> the south - there was very weak social patterns, no institutions, no
>> real government: only warmongers and fuzzy honour-codes to keep people
>> in something akin to order. Self-reliance and self-responsibility was
>> all there was.
>
> I always listen when Chis gives history lessons and this is also
> valid stuff, just a comment regarding the term "weak social
> patterns". In this context he possibly means communities not
> sufficiently intellectually (rationally) run. In my opinion the more
> basic the community, the  stronger the Q-social value. Family in
> the human ancestry type sense, klan, tribe are the oldest
> strongest and thus "best" social patterns. But intellect is better in
> the MOQ sense and a society overlaid by intellectual values is
> the best place to live. At least to an intellect-carrier (like
> Christoffer).


Yes. This is quite interesting - the period when the Early-Modern state 
emerges is quite clearly a period where the state gains control- and indeed 
is formed at all - but is this a strengthening of social patterns or of 
intellectual patterns? The development is of course a response to DQ, but 
also, I think this is one of those times that social vales and intellectual 
values is not in a state of real war. They seem to be working together. I 
mean, we can all see examples of one kind of society overcoming another 
kind, merely because it was more dynamic - there doesn't have to be any 
trace of rationality involved - and this could have been a inter-level 
affair (so to speak). But it wasn't. Because at the same time this new way 
of social control developed, at the same time, intellectual thoughts were 
flourishing - and affecting the social development!  It was more like a 
symbiosis at this time perhaps - both social patterns of value and 
intellectual patterns of value were strengthened in the early stages of 
development of the early-modern state (talking mostly about northern Europe 
here)  - but of course, soon they would come in conflict again.

Thinking aloud here in a way. This needs to be investigated further I feel.

>> But new times came, development continued.  From the time of the
>> Swedish Empire and until the 19th century, institutions continued to
>> grow strong,  the governments ability to gain control continued as
>> well. However, This development didn't go towards a more totalitarian
>> state, but rather the opposite. In 1921 both men and women had the
>> right to vote, and it is now, when that happens that the government
>> may become a most efficient tool for the people. self- reliance and
>> self-responsibility is still important, and it always will. But the
>> people decided that if someone should fail, or if something should go
>> wrong, then there should be help to be gotten. The welfare-state.
>> Moreover, this is a quite intellectual reasoning that brings this about
>> - if there is generally less poverty and less fear of poverty in
>> society, why then society will be a safer place, and everybody can go
>> about their business more calmly.
>
> Yes, here Chris says the very same thing. This is an intellect-
> dominated "society".
>
>> Then put this into a MOQ context. I believe that what should be done is
>> to further the development of the intellectual level - I'm sure you
>> will agree - so, by using s somewhat utilitarian way of reasoning here:
>> if as many as possible may educate themselves as much as possible, that
>> will further the development of the intellectual level. So, back to my
>> original point: If we now have the state, and we can make it work for
>> us, both working as a frame for social patterns of value and,
>> furthering the development AND being controlled by  - intellectual
>> patterns of value (reason) then why on earth should we not do so?
>
> What the MOQ adds is the dynamic aspect that Platt
> demonstrates by the LILA quotes (in his reply to this) But there is
> another question: What Chris correctly calls reason and the MOQ
> calls SOM - and SOL identifies with the intellectual level - has
> done its good job of dominating social value without "knowing"
> the level context. What will the effect of knowing this context
> have on intellect?

A very good question, perhaps a new thread on this? If anyone would follow 
in it...  :P


> In my opinion the SOL interpretation (the 4th. level=S/O
> distinction) is mandatory to prevent the MOQ becoming an anti-
> intellectual force, because it can't be swept under the carpet that
> Pirsig's tendency to presents intellect as an innocent beauty
> raped by "rationality" (science & knowledge) opens a dangerous
> route. It sounds as if intellect can be made good if the said
> patterns will be exposed as frauds, but these ARE the 4th. level
> and a rationality exposed as a fraud is no rationality. Intellect will
> be gone as and existence has dropped down to the social level.
> And there are passages in LILA that makes it sound as if the
> MOQ is anti-intellectual.
>
> With SOM (rationality, knowledge, science ..etc.) = the 4th. level,
> the MOQ tenet of the upper level being out of the former pose no
> argument against intellect as the highest static value and its
> moral superiority over social value is firmly established.
>
> IMO
>
> Bo


Couldn't agree more. 

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