ROGER REPLIES AND WELCOMES JENNIFER
Jennifer Wrote:
<< Hello all. I'm new to this list, and apolopgize if this question has been
asked before. I also haven't finished reading Lila yet, so this issue might
still be resolved before the end, but I see no signs of that happening.
Anyway, here's the question:
How can we be so sure that intellect comes after society on the ladder of
evolution? It seems to me that in the first instances, moving from matter
to cells to organisms to society, there was always a convergence, a
networking, a joining of many to form one. But Pirsig's last step, from
society to intellect, seems to me to be moving in the opposite direction.
As often happens, in asking the question I may have stumbled upon the
answer. I'll give my ideas, and still submit this in order to see if anyone
else has a different answer. I now think that the answer may lie in the
whole business about cultural relativism. Intellect allows for the value
patterns of many societies to be joined and transcended.
>>
Welcome Jennifer,
You have stumbled on a sensitive issue with the squad. Some members think
that the intellectual level is best considered as a part of the social level,
for reasoning that is not dissimilar to yours. Others think that the levels
are sacred and inviolable and were handed down to Pirsig by some cosmic
metaphysician. This latter group kinda scares me.
Personally, using the MOQ I would say that the value of having 4 divisions
lies....... in its value.;-) What this means is that its value lies in its
ability to explain phenomena in a concise and consistent manner. Pirsiq has
found that the 4 Level split differentiates the quality in the best way
possible. Intellectual patterns are a particular type of social pattern that
value logically consistant elegant solutions. They are much more flexible
and resilient than other social patterns. The patterns and values are so much
more complex and dynamic that Pirsig finds it best to separate them into
their own level. (By best, I mean clearer and more explanatory and more
consistent). I guess they do indeed join and transcend too.. Though this
sounds more like Ken Wilber's reasoning than Pirsig's.
I could go a lot deeper, but I am worried that I will just confuse.
As a parting remark, just remember that reality is not true or false, 3
levels or 4. Reality *IS*. It is our theories of reality that are true or
false.
Rog
PS -- Of course our theories are part of reality too, and the judge of a
theory is direct experience ----reality------ itself.
MOQ Online Homepage - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
Unsubscribe - http://www.moq.org/md/index.html
MD Queries - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
