Hi Horse, Gerhard, Andrea, Marco, All:
Horse, rather than debate your point about a re-run of the Florida
election as being the highest Quality resolution of that issue, or the
kindness of Indians, or the necessity for coercion in society, I want to
focus on the following:
> > > Does Pirsig eating meat destroy the validity of this:
> > >
> > > "A popular moral issue that parallels the germ-patient issue is vegetarianism.
>Is it immoral,
> > > as the Hindus and Buddhists claim, to eat the flesh of animals? Our current
>morality would
> > > say it’s immoral only if you’re a Hindu or Buddhist. Otherwise it’s okay, since
>morality is
> > > nothing more than a social convention.
> > > An evolutionary morality, on the other hand, would say it’s scientifically
>immoral for everyone
> > > because animals are at a higher level of evolution, that is, more Dynamic, than
>are grains
> > > and fruits and vegetables. But the moral force of this injunction is not so
>great because the
> > > levels of evolution are closer together than the doctor’s patient and the germ.
>It would add,
> > > also, that this moral principle holds only where there is an abundance of grains
>and fruits and
> > > vegetables. It would be immoral for Hindus not to eat their cows in a time of
>famine, since
> > > they would then be killing human beings in favor of a lower organism."
> > >
> > > and hence the evolutionary morality of the MoQ?
> > >
> > > I think not.
> >
> > What's your point? Pardon my dimness, but I don't see the connection
> > to discussion at hand.
>
> Well, I assume that grain, fruit and vegetables are abundant in the U.S. but in
>Chapter 14 Lila
> and Mr P. tuck into a meal of steak and fries. Hence P. is acting immorally. However
>the
> actions of the author does nothing to damage the veracity of his metaphysics. In
>exactly the
> same way if neither Andrea or Marco lift a finger to help anyone this does not
>detract from
> the veracity of their writings. In attacking Andrea or Marco for such you are using
>Ad
> Hominem arguments - a point I made previously. I was using the above passage to
>illustrate
> exactly this as I believe exactly this point was made against Pirsig in the past by
>someone
> who should've known better (not you Platt I hasten to add).
Actually I was unaware of this hypocrisy in the MOQ and appreciate
your pointing it out. Frankly I was shocked to learn that the MOQ
considers vegitarians to be morally superior to the vast majority of
Americans and Europeans, at least as regards their eating habits. That
I never picked up on this before illustrates once again that one tends to
see what one wants to see.
I think Pirsig's hypocrisy does indeed damage the veracity of his
metaphysics. He cannot berate Rigel on one hand and escape
criticism of himself on the other. He cannot set up a moral code and
then violate it without raising doubts about his sincerity. Once that
doubt is raised, he begins to lose authenticity.
Since the MOQ can be interpreted in ways to justify our moral
preconceptions (meaning it can be all things to all people and thus
meaningless), and since Pirsig himself violates his own canons,
should we take the rest his metaphysics seriously?
Your answer, Horse, is that the actions of the author make no
difference. I would dearly like to agree, but I can't. Actions speak louder
than words in my book, especially when it comes to matters moral.
Also, that there seems to be as many interpretations of the MOQ as
there are contributors to this site raises the suspicion that there's
reallly less of a fundamental nature here than meets the eye.
Further, Marco, Andrea and Gerhard find plenty in the MOQ to support
humanitarian morality even though I cannot, and even though Pirsig
abandoned Lila at the end so he could continue his "selfish" cruise--
hardly a humanitarian act.
I will now reexamine the MOQ in the light of of an author who may be
pulling our collective legs.
Platt
Platt
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