[MD] The difference between a Monet and a finger painting

[Steven Peterson]

HI Ant, Kirimel, Mark, all,


Ant said:
> I also looked at a paper by Stephen Hawking on the Second Law of Thermodynamics (“Life in the Universe” found at http://hawking.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65).  I don’t see any disagreement in the latter with what Pirsig has written about the subject in Chapter 11 of LILA.  Pirsig uses the example of how organisms create order out of disorder on very much the same lines as he uses the example of birds
> flying into the sky (when they “defy” gravity).  Even though they are illustrating the same point (i.e. biological
> patterns operate on different laws to inorganic patterns so often evade them or overcome them) the issue of how Pirsig has used gravity (in the example) never seems to generate anywhere near the controversy written about the Second Law of Thermodynamics.  My guess is that the creationist vs. science debate is a more sensitive issue in the States so people (on both side of the debate) are reading into Pirsig things he simply did not say.


I read that Hawking essay you linked to. Very interesting. I don't see
anything there that is inconsistent with Pirsig and I agree that the
Creationism debate is "probably the explanation foreading into Pirsig
things he simply did not say."

Best,
Steve