I want to thank everyone who offered thoughts on "the meaning of life", both
here and privately. There were some real interesting and helpful insights. It
never would have occurred to me that anyone would respond to the Pirsig passage
by saying they want to be dull imitators. I'm still trying to think of a way to
handle such a challenge without insulting the would-be dull imitator. See? I
did it just then. I mean, how is it anything but insulting to say someone is
"dull" or "unoriginal", even if it is a self-description. Anyway,...
Steve said:
What if instead of asking one another, "what is the meaning of life?" they
instead asked, "what are the meanings of life?" Is the first question which
presupposes a single meaning in some way more legitimate than the second? I
suspect that people wouldn't find the issue at all vexing if they asked the
second question since meanings abound. It reminds me of the scene Ron mentioned
where Pirsig helps Chris write a letter. The questions, "what do I want to
say?," and, "what do I want to say first?," get in one another's way.
dmb says:
The students will be lead through those sorts of distinctions in the readings
leading up to the class on Pirsig. Basically, the question of the meaning of
life in general is associated with religion and old-style metaphysics whereas
the question of the meaning of MY life in particular is associated with
non-metaphysical, existential, humanistic worldviews. The first readings will
include ancient Plato and postmodern Terry Eagleton, for example. As I
mentioned, "the meaning of life" is the theme for the whole course and of
course there will be a whole range of ways to ask and answer that question.
Steve said:
I think another worthy consideration regarding ZAMM and the meaning of life is
Pirsig's list of questions typifying philosophical inquiry. When it is said
that something means something, just what exactly is that supposed to even
mean? Before people ask, "what is the meaning of life?" they may do well to
consider what they mean by "meaning" in order to pose the question in a way
that could ever possibly elicit satisfying answers.
dmb says:
I think you're confusing or conflating two different senses of the term. When
we ask what the term "means" we're asking for some precision as to what the
content of the idea is supposed to indicate, convey or refer to. When we ask
about the "meaning" of life, on the other hand, we're asking about it's
significance, import, point and purpose. We are not asking what the content IS
but rather asking about what's valuable and worthwhile about it.
Of course "mean" can also mean "cruel", as in "Those are some mean streets" and
what we "mean" can also mean "intentions", as in "He means well". But in the
context of the phrase "meaning of life", "meaning" has an evaluative
connotation above all.
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