dmb,
I posted two RMP quotes (statements made by Mr. Pirsig) where he uses the
singular form of the verb 'to be' pertaining to 'truth'. Read the post. I
made no additional points, but merely posted RMP's words. Read RMP's words. I
doubt that he had a lapse in using the rules of grammar. Read the words
slowing. There is no reason to accuse me of anything. Please note he also
does not use 'static patterns of truth', but used 'a static pattern of truth';
that is also the singular usage. His words. RMP's words, not mine. If it
conflicts with your Pirsig/James interpretation, it's not my problem.
"Truth is a [singular] static intellectual pattern [singular] within a
larger entity called Quality. James had tried to make his pragmatism popular by
getting it elected on the coattails of practicality. He was always eager to use
such expressions as 'cash-value,' and 'results,' and 'profits,' in order to
make pragmatism intelligible to 'the man in the street,' but this got James
into hot water. Pragmatism was attacked by critics as an attempt to prostitute
truth to the values of the marketplace. James was furious with this
misunderstanding and he fought hard to correct the misinterpretation, but he
never really overcame the attack.
"What Phaedrus saw was that the Metaphysics of Quality avoided this attack by
making it clear that the good to which truth is [singular] subordinate is
intellectual and Dynamic Quality ..."
(RMP, 'LILA', Chapter 28)
---
"The MOQ does not turn its back on the empiricist belief that the more we
analyse, the closer we approach to truth. Truth is [singular] the highest
quality static intellectual pattern [singular] and analysis has shown over
and over again historically that it improves the quality of intellectual
patterns."
(RMP, 'Copleston Annotations')
---
Marsha
On May 27, 2013, at 12:09 PM, david buchanan wrote:
> “. . . the Metaphysics of Quality does not insist on a single exclusive
> truth. If subjects and objects are held to be the ultimate reality then we're
> permitted only one construction of things - that which corresponds to the
> 'objective' world - and all other constructions are unreal. [This is widely
> known as the correspondence theory of truth - anyone can look it up.] But if
> Quality or excellence is seen as the ultimate reality then it becomes
> possible for more than one set of truths to exist. Then one doesn't seek the
> absolute Truth.' One seeks instead the highest quality intellectual
> explanation of things with the knowledge that if the past is any guide to the
> future this explanation must be taken provisionally; as useful until
> something better comes along."
>
>
> Ron said:
> To conclude Truth [singular] (added by Marsha) connects with "is" which is
> [verb] 1. 3rd person singular present indicative of be. "Be" verb (used
> without object) 1. to exist or live 2. to take place; happen; occur: So
> Marsha is asserting that Truth is a singular experience in process. One has
> to ask then WHAT exactly IS this fixed eternal (singular)Truth?
>
>
>
> dmb says:
> Okay, now this might come as a shock but I'm going to suggest that Marsha's
> point defies the text, has no philosophical merit and even displays a basic
> incompetence with respect to the use of the English language. That's usually
> the case but this particular mistake is hilarious.
>
> In order to defy Pirsig's explicit rejection of singular truth, Marsha rests
> her case on the meaning of the word "is". She points to sentences wherein
> Pirsig says what "truth is", rather that what "truths are", and uses them to
> conclude that truth is singular and not plural.
>
> Similarly, Marsha was reading the biography of Henry Ford. She came upon a
> sentence which said, "the automobile is perhaps the most important invention
> of the 20th century" and thereby came to the conclusion that there is only
> one automobile. Same with the Wright brothers, the gents who perfected the
> bicycle and invented the airplane. As we all knows, the bicycle is still very
> popular and the airplane is crucial to our modern economy. Sure, it's not
> easy for 300 million people to share the one and only bike that was ever
> invented and that single aircraft has to do the work of a nation. But that's
> just the way it "is", huh?
>
> This one really takes the cake. If there were an award given for most the
> weakest, most ridiculous argument of the month, this would certainly be my
> nominee.
>
>
>
>
>
> 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
___
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
