To: Platt, Jonathan, Rasheed and Simon
From: Roger

PLATT:
Rog, thanks for the clarification of your position. Correct me if I'm 
wrong, but you make a distinction between an evolutionary direction in 
individual species and evolution overall, there being no particular 
direction in species, but overall a direction towards greater complexity, 
versatility, awareness, and consciousness, implying purpose towards 
a goal. I don't think Jonathan or Andrea will agree with this position 
since they apparently object to the idea that evolution has any direction 
or purpose whatsoever. Again I stand to be corrected.

ROG:
Inevitability does not mean goal or purpose (isn't this the same subject  -- 
ie purpose -- as our very 1st discussion together about 3 years ago?).  If I 
roll enough dice I am sure to get "snake eyes" but that does not mean that 
getting two ones is the goal or purpose of dice. Jonathan's comparison to 
entropy seems quite appropriate to me.

PLATT:
Now instead of getting into a donnybrook about what the majority of 
biologists consider to be the facts of evolution vs. their critics, I would 
appreciate each of you gentlemen addressing head on Pirsig's 
contention that Quality is a natural *moral force* like the other forces 
identified by science (electromagnetism, gravity, strong and weak 
nuclear). 

ROG:
I suggest that DQ is that from which all forces are derived.  All forces are 
static 'manifestations' derived from the BIG "D".

PLATT:
My point would be that if you don't agree with Pirsig's explanation of 
evolution, you cannot agree with his Metaphysics since it is built on his 
idea of moral forces creating reality, including beetles, horseshoe 
crabs and finally, thank God, us. (-:

ROG:
I think it still works with the above interpretation...no?

PLATT:
Isn’t the survival urge an *interior* phenomena like 
consciousness, suggesting both have been around since the 
beginning? 

ROG:
Back to atomic awareness huh?  You are tricky!  Hee hee.   Seriously, my 
friend, I would say that according to your interpretation the answer is YES.  
(we already know how we might choose different words to state it)

Let me know yer thots,
Rog


MOQ.ORG  - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
MD Queries - [EMAIL PROTECTED]

To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html

Reply via email to