Andre,
I have two things in mind: a very general question of why are we here on
earth? What is our purpose here?
The second thing that mingles with this is Pirsig's variant on the
Buddhist poem on page 406 of LILA:
While sustaining biological and social patterns
Kill all intellectual patterns...and then follow Dynamic Quality and
morality will be served
It appears to me that these lines refer to a non-dual perspective...the
fusing of what Paul, in his paper terms an epistemological and an
ontological context.
Presently the vast majority of the purpose of education seems to lie not
even close to either the epistemological nor the ontological context: it is
presented as driven by the given: driven by economics, industry, private
and public business corporations...their values incorporated and reinforced
through ('personal') exposure to and internalization of values serving
their vested interests (this is the ground stuff of mainstream education
including parental) plus a vast network of public service type values to
keep the system going...the political economy...the giant as Pirsig refers
to it in LILA.
J: I'm not exactly sure what a non-dual perspective would see, but about
the Giant I agree and have a question for you, and in fact, for anybody who
can answer. Isn't it a de facto necessity that the Giant MUST operate
according to a SOM system? It seems that a values perspective would of
necessity be operating on a shifting scale of shades of gray and what the
system requires is a binary decision process of simple black and white in
order to function.
It just seems the checks and balances of competing selves that make up the
body of the Giant, requires the metaphysical underpinning of a certain
absoluteness of subject and object. I ask because lately it occurs to me
that the urge to change the system is inherently a lost cause. I'd like
to know for sure if that is so or not.
Andre:
I see this as an emphasis on static patterns of value. My own experience
(as a beginning teacher) left very little room for reflection let alone
talking about purpose (apart from satisfying the needs of the giant...which
is 'the given'...the economic garbage). A strict adherence to policy was
called for and the (politically determined) guidelines were changed every 1
or 2 years (depending on which party swung the scepter). There was no room
for professional innovation, autonomy or adjustment. So very soon,
realizing that certain prescribed methods simply did not work, one was told
to simply follow policy...and to lower standards of academic achievement if
it was seen that most students failed to pas exams. This of course in the
context of a fair amount of money being available for the educational
institution for every student who graduated.
Currently there appears to be too much emphasis on this nowhere land
(flatland). It is the 'sustaining (and incessantly improving) of biological
and social patterns'...with variations/innovations occurring on the same
old themes...and stamping these as 'creative'. The driving force of which,
for sure, is DQ but received, guided, maintained and projected into the
future by a commonly shared consciousness that is egocentric and
narcissistic...just what the giant wants and feeds on (fooling everyone of
course because the only winner is the giant and there really is no heaven
above!).
John: Yes! I guess my question revolves around this egocentric narcissism
being such a driving force for the Giant, whether without it anything at
all would happen. There's a certain amount of Giantism that's necessary
for computer chips to be assembled and programs to be produced.
Andre:
This is the sq side of the equation.
As I hinted there appears very little to no time (or energy) to address
the other side of the equation...the DQ side. Times to reflect, ask
question about purpose, about arete (and not just in an economic or social
status sense). But not only reflect on static patterns. I mean it the way
Pirsig argues...rta, dharma and karma (evolutionary garbage and the dumping
of this garbage).
Those moments when it is painfully obvious (and we see this every day on
the TV news and hear it on the radio and other social media) what the
results are in the clinging to the static patterns of the world and the
role that current educational policy and practices play in the perpetuation
of this state of affairs (plus of course the consequences when you don't).
Moments to detach oneself from these static patterns (LILA p407). Perhaps
ways should be found to build that right into the education system and not
have it relegated to one's 'personal/private' meditation room, one's whim
...or whenever time and energy is found.
What needs to be challenged and seen through is the ego driven,
self-centered purpose of the giant in which we are all brought up and
subjected to accept as God given. This (self)destructive, violent and
aggressive
