[MD] Intellect's Symposium

[Mary]

Hi Bo!

[You said]
Pirsig recognizes the confusion he has created - not by the 
term "intellect" in itself which indicates the correct objective-over-
subjective attitude, but his own misuse of it to mean something 
resembling MIND*) . i.e. the mental realm where ideas are created and 
reside according to SOM.    

*) Letting "mind" (=subject) lose inside the metaphysics whose 
purpose is to reject the mind/matter dichotomy (SOM) is disaster. 
While the mind/matter aggregate as MOQ's 4th. level means it is 
domesticated.
-----
If I understand you correctly, what you say makes a lot of sense. Pirsig set
up the rules defining the levels, so if the rules are violated, we must not
be talking about Pirsig's Metaphysics of Quality anymore.  At that point
we'd be discussing Mary's or Dave's or Bo's Metaphysics of Quality.  

Since a level is defined as a set of patterns of value which evolved from
the previous level (Social here); and the key distinction between any level
and its parent is that it took on a life of its own, then most proposals
about what the Intellectual Level is do not fit.  You could run down the
list of things put forth as the Intellectual Level, and reject most of them
based on Pirsig's definition of what a level is.

Bo, I'd say you and I agree in general.  I've said I thought the Int. Level
was all about an attitude of objectivity, the scientific method, the
objective anthropologist for example.  You take that a step further and say
it is all of Subject-Object Metaphysics. I think between the two positions
there is still a lot of ground to cover, but what continues to disturb me is
coming to the inevitable conclusion that Pirsig's definition of his own
level is wrong.  

Mary

- The most important thing you will ever make is a realization.