Thanks, Platt --
I don't remember anything about Beasley, but what you quote
from his essay suggests why I find him forgettable. He attacks
the foundation of the MOQ -- Quality.
I found Beasley's personal information under "Lila Squad Members" at MOQ.org
while you were challenging Ian and Arlo in a few rounds of Chance.
Apparently he is (or was) a science teacher, sculptor, and Gestalt therapist
living with an Irish wife in North Queensland, Australia.
Quality created the universe. Call it "theologising" if you wish, but
that's just saying "I'm an atheist." Why would life suddenly "bring
value?"
What brought life in the first place? The MOQ provides an answer. As I
recall, your Essence philosophy does, too. But apparently Beasley is of
the school that thinks something comes from nothing by chance, the theory
of Oops -- a barren theory if there ever was one.
Not to interrupt your game with a minor dispute, but I don't see Beasley's
concerns with a "Quality Creator" in this essay as a rejection of Pirsig's
philosophy or an endorsement of creation by chance. In fact, I agree with
him that life -- human life, in particular -- brings value into being, not
"suddenly" but incrementally, differentially, and by choice. I would have
expected that last line of Beasley's quote to appeal to you:
"Human life brings a magnificent unfolding of quality,
which emerges in intellect, as Pirsig correctly asserts,
but also in art and ethics and creativity, and none of these
flower without education, as we know from study of the
wolf-boy, the individual raised alone."
Although he doesn't address the question "what brought life in the first
place?" he does say (as I do) that "Quality only makes sense as seen from
the perspective of the organism." IMO anyone who doesn't have reservations
about quality as the progenitor hasn't thought it through logically. But I
guess questioning the fundamentals laid down by Pirsig is heresy in this
forum.
Anyway, I appreciate the courtesy of your reply, and wish you luck in
wherever you're going with Chance..
Kindest regards,
Ham
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