[MD] The Upside down evolution

[Krimel]

[Andre] 
> What about Pirsig surmising that from rituals intellectual patterns 
> may have emerged? 

[ Krimel ] 
> Rituals ARE intellectual patterns. 

[Craig]
You're still off a level from Pirsig . Just as for him your social level 
of bees is biological, so your intellectual level of rituals is on his 
social level. 
You are possibly thinking of modern rituals like the wine&wafer sacrament, 
where the ritual is symbolic of Jesus's sacrifice. 
Pirsig is thinking of primitive practices: the hunting party returns 
& sets their kill before the alpha male, otherwise he kicks their ass 
(biological). 
Later, it becomes a ritual display for their leader (social). 
Finally, a rationale is provided in terms of taxes for the good of the 
state (intellectual). 

[Krimel]
You ought to know by now that I have no problem with being "off a level from
Pirsig," As he has formulated it, the whole level systems is useless, in
fact worse than useless. All that has resulted from it is a 10+ year feud
over trivial details. Can anyone but Bo, who thinks only he "gets" anything,
say that this levels idea has enriched their understanding?

All I am saying is that in order for such a system to work it needs to be
adjusted so that it actually makes some sense. Levels are not discrete. They
are mutually and bidirectionally related. Redefining words like "social" and
"intellectual" only serves to create confusion where none ought to exist.