[MD] Julian Baggini Interview with Pirsig

[david buchanan]

Howdy MOQers:


In response to Julian's interview, Matt said: "so apparently I'll be playing 
the role of _Julien_...."

(interview is at http://www.philosophersnet.com/magazine/article.php?id=980 
Thanks, Ian.)

dmb says:
Yep. The interviewer certainly reminds me of Matt. I guess I can take some 
comfort in the realization that its not just me. Apparently, conversations 
between philosophologists and regular people are bound to be condused and 
are destined for a stand off. Here is one of my favorite slices of the 
interview. Baggini has asked Pirsig to "locate" the MOQ "in the history of 
philosophy". Pirsig replies....

"The Metaphysics of Quality is not intended to be within any philosophic 
tradition, although obviously it was not written in a vacuum. My first 
awareness that it resembled James's work came from a magazine review long 
after Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was published. The 
Metaphysics of Quality's central idea that the world is nothing but value is 
not part of any philosophic tradition that I know of."

The interviewer persists with this philosophological approach in various 
ways until Pirsig finally says...

"If, as has been noted by RC Zaehner, once the Oxford University Professor 
of Eastern Religions and Ethics, I am saying the same thing as Aristotle; 
and if, as has been noted in the Harvard Educational Review, I am saying the 
same thing as William James; and if, as has been noted now, I may be saying 
the same thing as Spinoza: then why has no one ever noticed that Aristotle 
and Spinoza and William James are all saying the same thing?”

I think this is some kind of beautiful judo, a devastating zinger that uses 
the views of well-credentialed philosophologist to show how absurd 
philosophology can be. And its not as if comparisons don't help, but 
academic philosophology seems to instill a tendency to put round pegs and 
square holes and otherwise force inappropriate comparisons. I mean, what's 
the deal with Doc Zaehner? Aristotle? Aristotle is refered to as an 
"asshole" in ZAMM. This doesn't exactly invite comparsions, you know. I 
think Pirsig has found a humorous and polite way to say, "Look pal, it 
doesn't add up and I already told you its not my thing." Sad thing is, there 
probably is a thesis out there somewhere that says Aristotle, Spinoza and 
James WERE all saying the same thing.

Oddly, when Pirsig DOES invite more relevant comparisons (Plotinus, Lao Tsu 
and Northrop), the interviewer doesn't bother with it for a moment. Just 
blows it off. Drops it. Aaargh. Why in the world would any interviewer fail 
to ask? Reading the interview was an exercise in frustration, but it was 
also helpful for personal reasons. It was frustrating in the sense that it 
didn't ever get at the MOQ itself. But it did help to illuminate the trouble 
I've been having talking to Matt - and the kind of trouble I'm likely to 
encounter if I go back to school.

Later,
dmb

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