[MD] Julian Baggini Interview with Pirsig

[ian glendinning]

Hi MoQ'ers,

You should be aware of this if you are not already.
http://www.philosophersnet.com/magazine/article.php?id=980

As Julian Baggini's title "Zen and the Art of Dialogue" alludes -
there was really a breakdown in communication and they were talking
past each other (via e-mail)

However Julian summarises
"I think both books reveal an author of exceptional intelligence and
insight," I wrote. "However, I do feel that in seeking to build an
all-encompassing system to connect all these insights, we end up with
a whole which is less than the sum of its parts. Perhaps this does
little more than reflect the extent to which my own thinking has been
affected (or infected) with the anti-metaphysical bias of recent
Anglo-American philosophy. But I don't think it is just that. I think
rather that it connects to the above point about philosophology. You
have not allowed yourself to be constrained by other philosophers,
which has given you the benefit of more freedom and more originality.
But constraints also provide checks and balances, and without them, I
fear you've constructed a system on foundations that are not up to the
job of supporting it."

"The foundations are okay, in fact they are rock-solid, but we never
got to discuss them," Bob replied.

Interesting reading (the entire transcript notice as well as the article).
Ian