I find it puzzling that in both Arlo's and DMB's answers to Mati's questions that there is nary a mention of the moral codes that Pirsig says are the defining characteristics of the levels. It seems both have ignored the basic premise of the MOQ that the world -- at each and every level -- is a moral order, and that a significant problem with today's scientifically dominated S-O intellect is its complete moral blindness. If cognitive abstractions alone are the defining characteristics of the intellectual level, then we have a problem -- as Pirsig explained:
"Morals can't function normally because morals have been declared intellectually illegal by the subject-object metaphysics that dominates present social thought. These subject-object patterns were never designed for the job of governing society. They're not doing it. When they're put in the position of controlling society, of setting moral standards and declaring values, and when they then declare that there are no values and no morals, the result isn't progress. The result is social catastrophe. It's this intellectual pattern of amoral "objectivity" that is to blame for the social deterioration of America, because it has undermined the static social values necessary to prevent deterioration. In its condemnation of social repression as the enemy of liberty, it has never come forth with a single moral principle that distinguishes a Galileo fitting social repression from a common criminal fighting social repression. It has, as a result, been the champion of both. That's the root of the problem." (Lila, 24) Platt 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/
