[MD] What does Pirsig mean by metaphysics?

[skutvik at online.no]

Greetings Steve

25 Jan. 
 
Bo before:
> > I use to say that Quality comprises all, but I don't really
> > see the revolution of the Quality=Reality axiom. SOM hasn't anything
> > which is S/O split, it simply postulates one subjective and one
> > objective realm. Thus MOQ simply postulates one dynamic and one
> > static realm. Can you, Steve, point to any practical difference
> > between Dynamic Quality and Dynamic Reality?

Steve:
> I don't understand what you are getting at for most of the above, but,

I was getting at the diagrams in ZAMM as the seed for the "Quality/ 
MOQ" problem. SOM's diagram is presented as if there is a "Reality" 
which is S/O divided. That's not the case, SOM has one subjective and 
one objective realm with a bottomless abyss between them. Then 
Pirsig makes it sound as if changing the non-existing "Reality" above 
the SOM diagram into "Quality" spells a world-shaking event, which it 
doesn't, the Quality diagram (at that stage) should have looked like 
this been.        

                               Dynamic Quality
                                         I
Static Quality in the form of Subjects and objects at that stage. 

> Nope. I don't see a practical difference between Dynamic Quality and
> Dynamic Reality. This is self-evident if Reality = Quality. 

OK, no more sophistry, but the point is that this Reality-Quality is the 
DQ that the MOQ speaks about.   

Steve:
> It is interesting that you bring up two different senses of the term
> metaphysics. I just wrote a letter to Pirsig on that exact topic to see
> if he would offer any clarification. The letter I wrote is posted on my
> blog here:
> http://www.atheistichope.com/2010/01/i-recently-sent-this-letter-to-ro
> bert-m.html 

Good idea Steve, I've read the letter, a bit long but let's hope for an 
answer. Kudos to you for having spotted the futility of first postulating 
metaphysics in the correct = reality sense and than nullifying it all with 
the Aristotelian  "subjective theories about objective reality" sense 
which the "Quality/MOQ" is a variety of.  


Bodvar