Hello Foci Group,
Wow, my suggestion was picked, I should try to participate at a higher
level of Quality. (Late nights with coffee, May is already turning into a
busy month)
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First of all, is a city a living thing? Made of bricks, mortar, steel, wood,
Etc.?!
~ At first look it appears to be inorganic material put together into a
structure by the highest evolved form of Man. Structures that were made by us
for OUR purposes, our comfort, our needs. Buildings serve us, albeit for
different reasons. The church, the storefront, the neon sign, the courtroom,
the jailhouse, the barroom, the college, the skyscraper, etc. Made for us, by
us, Logic and deductive reason tell us that there is "no-thing" alive in a
piece of plaster, a slate roof, a twisted wire, or of a structure combined of
such materials. "We are the living things inside of them", it would be absurd
to think otherwise. Insane even!
~ Although, a creative thinker might contemplate such ideas as the
electrical, sewage, gas, transportation, communication systems that Pirsig
mentions as resembling the fractal patterns and functions of a living
organism. And illustrate them expressively and characteristically unto the
arteries, veins, nerves, digestive intestines, and various limbs of a
"being". And today the metaphors become exceedingly huge with technology
taking its first baby steps into such realms as the Internet and virtual
realities. (As well as programs and cloning technology) A case can be made
that technology has been proceeding toward such ambiguous science fiction
ideas of artificial intelligence (like seen in 'The Matrix' movie) since the
primitive invention of the wheel. And all the while using Us to build itself!
~ Thirdly and more philosophically, one may survey that city structures are
built by ourselves, as a community. With all of Humanity being the Mystical
One body and individuals being "the cells". As such the city, with its jails,
courts, schools, hospitals and markets becomes a "shelter for society". The
City, the State and the Nation, then become social patterns of value that
exploit our individual energies to support the whole. The city structures
remain inorganic and the "Giant" becomes our communal self. (The MOQ supports
this view)
These three views invite questions, such as " would not the first structure
have been a "shelter for survival/biology", rather than community/society?
("Of course", Yes!) And why do we now create machines that think for us?
("Freedom", perhaps?) "What does this say about our intellect? ("Greater for
some, less for others?) What is to be said about design? (design unto
designer or designer unto design") WHO made WHO? Who made YOU?
"Okay, stop the insanity." This month is supposed to be more obscure and more
playful than most. No idea is silly! "Now that's intellectual!"
So let's put away the logical, creative and philosophical views above and let
us assume that cities 'are' living entities, based on Pirsig's rhetoric that
it is just as foolish to think that we humans could crawl out of the periodic
table of elements as it is to think that Chicago, New York, Las Vegas, Dallas
or Hong Kong could arise from the dead rock we call earth.
Now with the 'assumption' that cities are "living" I ask,
"How does this pragmatically change our view?"
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With this assumption I will briefly answer Jonathan's questions:
<<1. Is the Giant conscious of its own behaviour in the same way that the
individual person is conscious of his/her own behaviour?>>
I would infer an answer of "no", and rather think that the giant is yet
evolving into self awareness, but I would also question how much is an
individual conscious of his/her own behavior most of the time? (Was Lila more
self aware than Phaedrus?)
<<2. Can we as individuals be aware of the Giant's consciousness?>>
I would say, "No, not totally ". Just as I cannot "will" my fingernails to
grow at an advanced rate or "will" the reversal of my aging process fully. I
cannot know the full mind of the "Giant". Nor can the "Giant" will me into
full submission, just as I cannot tell my red blood cells to stop dividing or
"will" cancer cells to stop growing. 'Free will' supports all levels.
Opposition is true friendship! (The creative force is Opposition.)
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With my assumption, I will later address the following questions with a
questioning practical viewpoint.
<<Does the Giant have a Devouring nature? How do we relate metaphorically to
the "City" as the "red blood cell" does to the body or carbon based life
forms does to the inorganic level? Do you feel the pulse?>>
See ya' round' the city,
Peace, Todd
MOQ.org - http://www.moq.org
