At 08:35 AM 5/21/2007, Arlo wrote:
>
>[Marsha]
>Pirsig has stated clearly that Quality cannot be defined. If Quality is
>defined as "betterness", how would you explain/dismiss the following:
>
>If everything is betterness, and there is nothing that is not betterness, then
>there is no meaning to betterness, for there is no way of distinguishing a
>difference between betterness and nonbetterness.
>
>[Arlo]
>Why do you consider "betterness" a definition, but "Quality" not
>one? Isn't the
>mere act of labeling something "defining"?
Arlo,
You, and your answering questions with questions...
I have no problem plugging in 'Quality', because it stays
meaningless, that is, without meaning, without definition:
If everything is Quality, and there is nothing that is not Quality,
then there is no meaning to Quality, for there is no way of
distinguishing a difference between Quality and nonQuality.
Yes 'Quality' as a label is a minimal definition of sorts, but to
expand it to mean "betterness" pushes the definition too far. If I
name a dog, Bingo, is that name really defining the dog?
>I can't imagine any way to use the term "Quality" that
>does not connote or imply "betterness".
You can't imagine? Is that my fault?
>Indeed, this was the central drive to ZMM.
It seems that the text CAN be interpreted differently.
>"But some things are better than others, that is, they have more quality...
>Obviously some things are better than others...but what's the
>"betterness"? ...
>What the hell is Quality? What is it?" (ZMM).
It's ambiguous. I think some things are better than others. Do you
want to agree with my opinions? I see more question than answer in
the above quote.
>For me, equating "Quality" and "betterness" ("And what is Good, and
>what is not
>Good...") is at the root of Pirsig's entire thesis.
For you? Good for you! But as far as you creating MoQ dogma, NO WAY
Jose. Not for me.
Not to be distracted, how about answering my original question, 'If
Quality is defined as "betterness", how would you explain/dismiss
the following:
If everything is betterness, and there is nothing that is not
betterness, then there is no meaning to betterness, for there is no
way of distinguishing a difference between betterness and nonbetterness.
Well?
Marsha
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