Platt, The expansion of concentric circles does have metaphorical appeal. Tossing a pebble into a still pond produces the effect. But I think it is somewhat misleading in that it suggests that the social level encompasses all of biology and all of physics; which it does not.
Branching suggests growth and expansion. Dependence at the "roots" but movement and growth at the edges. It is also suggestive of what I like to think of as the universal structure of DQ. That fractal self similar shape that appears to us throughout nature and across multiple dimensions. Case Quoting Case <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > We are not really talking about "levels" at all. We are talking about > "branches." "Level" is simply the wrong metaphor. It implies discreteness > and independence where they clearly do not exist. "Branches" implies > separation and continuation at the same time. It allows for self similarity > across scale. Branches imply mutual interdependency and complex interaction. > They are discrete and continuous at the same time. A branching tree is a common evolutionary image one sees in natural history books. As a metaphor for Pirsig's levels it has something going for it, as Case explains. But the image that strikes me as having more potent meaning is that of concentric circles with quantum potentiality the smallest inner circle expanding out to the inorganic, biological, social and intellectual circles respectively. Not only does this show the intellectual level encompassing all below it, but it suggests the idea of the evolution of ever expanding experience or consciousness, an expansion largely ignored by materialistic science but key to an understanding of the MOQ. ------------------------------------------------- This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/ 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.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ 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.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
