[MD] Emergent Consciousness

[Steve Peterson]

Hi Platt:

Platt said to Ham:

Great post! It amazes me that liberals here can easily change Pirsig's 
social level to include atoms, ants and antelopes even though Pirsig 
explicitly and repeatedly stated that his social level is for humans 
only. 
I don't agree with anyone would extend the social level to atoms or ants but you are wrong when you say that Pirsig only supports social paterns for humans:

LC Annotation 45
RMP:
"...A social pattern which would be unaware of the next higher level would be found among prehistoric people and the higher primates when they exhibit social learning that is not genetically hard-wired but yet is not symbolic.
DG:
Perhaps we could look at the sign language that researchers have taught gorillas as an example of a social pattern being unaware of intellectual abstraction.
RMP:
That sounds okay."

I know you are itching to quote Pirsig saying that it is best to keep the social level as just referring to human customs, but can you accept that Pirsig is open to the possibility of social patterns among non-human higher primates based on his comments quoted above?


Platt:
You ended your post by saying "Good luck to all" indicating to me that 
you might be signing off permanently. I earnestly hope that is not the 
case because you are a clear voice of sanity in an otherwise cacophony 
of Marxist, socialist, left-wing, collectivist blather. 

Steve:
I was reminded of Edward R Murrow's "Good night and good luck" sign off as well as McCarthy's accusing people of being Communists. 

Regards,
Steve

 		
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