Marsha to Andre: I think it pretty much eradicates the idea that the U.S. is based on any intellectual achievement.
Andre: Hi Marsha, yes, even 'America' is an 'idea'...and it has achieved an intellectual level and it has achieved a great deal. However, as I have tried to point out to Platt (and I have not been the only one over the years) the American 'idea' of most, if not all of its intellectual achievements, is predicated upon the Newtonian/ Lockean postulate of reality. As far as my understanding goes,(what else have I got??...based on my own experience) Pirsig's DQ/SQ postulate is far better and gives a completely new interpretation to the role of values. (because it has gone beyong the Newtonian/ Lockean postulate and into the Relative/ Quantum paradox). Remember the 'internal conflict in America today' Pirsig talks about? It is a conflict between European and Indian values, between freedom and order. I shall not pretend that I do completely understand this. Bodvar is criticising me for points of view and analyses. Fine, but I cannot ignore the impressions given me by everyday experience and static intellectual constructions. The instructions are mainly 'normative' i.e. the what 'ought' as opposed to what 'is'. (this is a tension between SOM [ as also what whas recognised internally] and MoQ [ which highlighted this tension in a supreme way] and cannot be resolved simply by blasting people/societies away who do not adhere to the intellectual norms. Bloody hell, it doesn't happen here nor in the US. Is the Western justice system (for example) so straight forward? Especially when one is in conflict with the government (in who, I suppose, most of the 'intellectual achievements are upheld??) Ahh, this is depressing and we are supposed to enter the festive season. Good old traditions! Regards Andre 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/
