Platt,
The Latin philosopher Seneca used to say "When I talk about virtue, I'm not
talking about my virtue". Hypocrisy? No, if you are sincere. This vegetarian
passage is a minor point. Pirsig states even that all his work is immoral:
"Writing a metaphysics is, in the strictest mystic sense, a degenerate
activity". But there's no solution: "a ruthless, doctrinaire avoidance of
degeneracy is a degeneracy of another sort". (Ch. 5) Pirsig here states he has
two *voices* inside, suggesting different approaches.
A similar point is raised in the infamous passage about socialism we all know
very well. "From a static point of view socialism is more moral than
capitalism. It's a higher form of evolution. It is an intellectually guided
society, not just a society that is guided by mindless traditions". "That's
what gives socialism its drive. But what the socialists left out and what has
all but killed their whole undertaking is an absence of a concept of indefinite
Dynamic Quality". (Ch. 17)
Even here, you find that what's most moral "from a static point" is not the best
option. Even here we have two voices. In both cases, a *dynamic mix* of both
points seems to be reasonable.
And how could it be otherwise? The MOQ claims that we have to be dynamic; we
have always to leave free space for the unexpected, the unknown. So, how could
we claim The Answer? Yes, eating meat is less moral than eating vegetables. But
it could well be that eating *only* vegetables is "a degeneration of another
sort". I don't know if you are trying to use the MOQ as a moral compass, but if
the compass says you have to go North, could well be that sometimes it is better
to have a little detour.
Ad maiora
Marco
p.s.
> 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.
Phaedrus tries uselessly to convince her to stay with him, and is sad when she
goes (ch. 31), so he is not selfish. Rigel will bring her to the Giant, as he
could not allow that two singles create a *new society*. P. is not glad, but
the doll says that it is a good conclusion (ch. 32). Lila is a religion with one
only follower, and "she isn't going to let him get anything on her.... from here
on he's putty in her hands". And Phaedrus is another individual religion as
well. Yes, only the individual is superior to the giant, but it doesn't mean
that a selfish loneliness is the right way to build the individual. The time
they had together has taught both something.
My "humanitarian morality" is just that: to give anyone the possibility to
create, grow, and follow his/her personal religion. Then.... good luck to
everyone.
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