Hi Jon, Since you asked you may find the principles of the MOQ below to shed some light. At least it could be the start of an interesting discussion. One caveat: not everyone agrees with these principles, but Pirsig described them as "excellent." So, as a reflection of the MOQ they have some authenticity. > So let me ask any of you who think I don't understand moq...what is the > postition of differing views? How is such conflict to be dealt with, and how > can a civil society be ordered by those who can't be civil on a discussion > list. > > All views, values, are not the same...they conflict as we have seen. So how > do we choose what laws, norms, ethical and legal, to build society on. > > I know P tries to avoid relativim of values, yet he does in other places > seem to say none are right or wrong, they just are. This is my point. Many > world views, and their values, and the laws that stem from them are mutually > incompatible. Not only this, they are mutually offensive. Not only this, > they are mutually blasphemous. > > How amongst all do we choose a world view and a value system? > > One other point on the Platt-Pirsig quote. Pirsig seems to think that such > values regarding rights are a good thing. OK, but where does he think they > come from and how can they best be sustained. > > I would like to have a serious discussion on this and other issues with > those who can do so with the more mature members of this group. Those who > have more heat than light, whose egos are easily bruised when someone dare > to disagree with them, who worship the great void between their ears, are > free to ignore me.
Principles of the Metaphysics of Quality The Quality Principle. Quality is simultaneously an immanent and transcendent moral force. It created and gave purpose to our world, motivated by the ethical principle of the "Good" which is its essence. Quality is synonymous with "morality" and "value." Thus, the world is primarily a moral order, consisting not of subjects (mental things) and objects (material things) but patterns of value. The Awareness Principle. The essence of quality is known to us as awareness without content-pure, unpatterned experience. As such, it's impossible to describe. Whenever we try, we end up describing what we are aware of, not awareness itself. The Dynamic/Static Principle. To explain the inexplicable, the Metaphysics of Quality divides quality into two parts, Dynamic and Static. Dynamic Quality is the moral imperative to create; Static Quality is the moral imperative to survive. The Levels Principle. Quality became manifest in our world by an evolutionary sequence of Dynamic Quality Events. Left in the wake of these events were four static levels of evolution-inorganic, biological, social and intellectual. Each level is a static pattern of Quality, organized and governed by its own unique moral laws-the laws of physics, biology, culture and reason respectively. The Awareness Hierarchy Principle. Each higher level evolved from and included the lower but expanded awareness. For example, the intellectual level can apprehend mathematical patterns that the lower levels cannot. Also, all levels possess, in addition to environmental awareness, an awareness of values. Even a lowly virus knows what's good for it. The Moral Hierarchy Principle. Because higher levels are more aware, they are more moral than levels below. Intellectual patterns take moral precedence over social patterns, social patterns over biological and biological patterns over inorganic. The First Dominance Principle. Because a lower level is largely unaware of levels above it, it considers itself to be the most moral and strives to dominate other levels. What is moral and lawful at one level is often immoral and unlawful at another. For example, biological laws defy the laws of physics. The Second Dominance Principle. Static patterns within levels that humans identify as entities are possessed by varying degrees of Quality depending on their affinity to the next higher or lower level. They often try to devour other patterns to enhance their own survival. This causes suffering, the negative face of Quality that drives the creative process. The Dependency Principle. When a higher level attempts to assert its moral dominance over a lower level, it must be careful that it does not endanger the stability of the lower level on which it ultimately depends for survival. For example, if the intellect in its quest for freedom from social inhibitions causes social instability, intellect will suffer. The Individual Principle. At the present stage of moral evolution, only living beings can respond to Dynamic Quality. Humans, composites of all four levels, are the most capable of responding. However, responses to and evaluations of Quality vary by individual because each has a different static pattern of life history. The Truth Principle. Truth, an intellectual value pattern, is a species of Good. There's no single, exclusive truth, but those of high quality are empirical, logical, elegant and brief. In any case, it's immoral for truth to be subordinated to social values. The Freedom Principle. To create ever higher levels of awareness, Dynamic Quality strives for freedom from all static patterns. Freedom is the core value and highest Good in the Metaphysics of Quality. Thus, the best social and intellectual patterns are those that promote freedom consistent with maintaining the static patterns necessary for survival. The Proof Principle. That reality is morality strikes most people as loony. But in denying that the world is a moral order they have to employ moral judgment. They cannot refute that Quality is reality without asserting a value. And they will have to concede that it´s impossible to live without assumptions of what is Good. For life requires action, action presupposes choice, choice presupposes purpose and purpose presupposes values. Regards, 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/md/archives.html
