[MD] Waiter, I don't think this Quality is any Good

[John Carl]

Platt:

 I mean it's easy to say that all battles are moral battles. But,
how do you prove it in court?

I'm beginning to suspect that Pirsig's theory is like evolution, climate
change and God's will because no matter what happens the theory
applies. (Cave paintings were a survival tactic, global warming causes
freezing weather in Miami, aids is punishment for the sin of
homosexuality.) Now comes the MOQ where a motorcycle is a moral
victory over inertia (intellectual vs.inorganic levels.)


Mary:

What distinguishes the Intellectual level for me is that it _values_
questioning assumptions, beliefs, or whatever you wish something to be.  In
particular, it values rising above the ego to seek fundamental truths, even
if they prove the seeker wrong. Only by valuing truth above ego can humanity
hope to even notice that Quality exists.


MR. HENDY: What is this one here?

WAITER: Uhh, that's 'philosophy'.

MRS. HENDY: Is that a sport?

WAITER: Aah, no, it's more of an attempt to, uh, construct a viable
hypothesis to, uh, explain the meaning of life.
MR. HENDY: Oh, that sounds wonderful. Would you like to talk about the
meaning of life, darling?

MRS. HENDY: Sure. Why not?

WAITER: Philosophy for two?

MR. HENDY: Right.

WAITER: Room?

MR. HENDY: Two-five-nine.

WAITER: Two-five-nine.

MR. HENDY: Yup. Uhh,-- uh, h-- how do we--

WAITER: Oh, uhh, you folks want me to start you off?

MR. HENDY: Oh, really, we'd appreciate that.

WAITER: Okay!

MR. HENDY: Yeah.

WAITER: Well, ehh,...

MR. HENDY: Mhmm.

WAITER: ...look. Have you ever wondered... just why you're here?

MR. HENDY: Well, we went to Miami last year and California the year before
that, and we've--

WAITER: No, no, no. I mean, uh, w-- why we're here... on this planet.

MR. HENDY:  No.

WAITER: Right! Aaah, you ever wanted to know what it's all about?

MR. HENDY: Nope.

MRS. HENDY: No. No.

WAITER: Right-o! Aah, well, uh, see, throughout history,...

MR. HENDY: M-hmm.

WAITER: ...there have been certain men and women who have tried to find the
solution to the mysteries of existence,...

MRS. HENDY: G-reat.

WAITER: ...and we call these guys 'philosophers'!

MR. HENDY: Ohh.

MRS. HENDY: And that's what we're talking about.

WAITER: Right!

MR. HENDY: Yeah.

MRS. HENDY: Ohh, that's neat!

WAITER: Well, you look like you're getting the idea, so why don't I give you
these, uh, conversation cards? They'll tell you a little about philosophical
method,...

MR. HENDY: Oh.

WAITER: ...names of famous philosophers,-- Uh, there you are. Uhh, have a
nice conversation!

MR. HENDY: Oh, thank you. Thank you very much.

MRS. HENDY: He's cute.

MR. HENDY: Yeah, real--

MRS. HENDY: Yeah.

MR. HENDY: Real understanding. Mmm.

MRS. HENDY: Oh! I never knew Schopenhauer was a philosopher!

MR. HENDY: Oh, yeah! He's the one that begins with an 'S'.

MRS. HENDY: Oh.

MR. HENDY: Umm, like, uh, 'Nietzsche'.

MRS. HENDY: Does 'Nietzsche' begin with an 'S'?

MR. HENDY: Uh, there's an 's' in 'Nietzsche'.

MRS. HENDY: Oh, wow. Yes, there is. Do all philosophers have an 's' in them?


MR. HENDY: Uh, yeah! I think most of 'em do.

MRS. HENDY: Oh. Does that mean Selina Jones is a philosopher?

MR. HENDY: Yeah! Right! She could be! She sings about the meaning of life.

MRS. HENDY: Yeah. That's right, but I don't think she writes her own
material.

MR. HENDY: No. Oh, maybe Schopenhauer writes her material.

MRS. HENDY: No. Burt Bacharach writes it.

MR. HENDY: But there's no 's' in 'Burt Bacharach'.

MRS. HENDY: Or in 'Hal David'.

MR. HENDY: Who's Hal David?

MRS. HENDY: He writes the lyrics. Burt just writes the tunes, only now, he's
married to Carole Bayer Sager.


MR. HENDY: Oh, waiter. This conversation isn't very good.


 If salt has lost its savor, it is good for nothing but to be trampled under
the feet of humanity.
If Quality isn't any good, then there's no such thing as quality.  If there
is no intrinsic moral direction to the cosmos, then how can there be a
cosmos?

I always figured that that was the primary teaching of Pirsig, the one point
upon which everybody here must agree - Quality is real and the primary
metaphysical reality of the cosmos.  Otherwise, why even waste your time?