[MD] Distinguishing Levels (Individual level)

[Arlo J. Bensinger]

[Platt previously]
So is the dichotomy [individual v. collective] true or false? 
 
[Arlo]
It is an illusion. Or a myth, such as Pirsig refers to when he says,
"The intellectual level of patterns, in the historic process of freeing itself
from its parent social level, namely the church, has tended to invent a myth of
independence from the social level for its own benefit."

[Platt]
So the distinction between the social and intellectual levels isn't 
true? That's news to me since Pirsig talks about the distinction all  through
his book.

[Arlo]
The independence between the social and intellectual is, according to Pirsig, a
myth. A "tree to its shrub", as it were. However, it is your false dichotomy
between "individual and collective" that I refer to. This, too, I would call a
"myth", but I think illusion is more precise.

[Platt]
Descartes' revelation can hardly be called scientific.

[Arlo]
Which sidesteps the discussion. 

[Platt previously]
So how come the repeatable, predictable static pattern of an amoeba  reacting to
acid is responding to Dynamic Quality?

[Arlo]
"But in modern quantum physics all that is changed. Particles "prefer" to do
what they do. An individual particle is not absolutely committed to one
predictable behavior. What appears to be an absolute cause is just a very
consistent pattern of preferences." (Lila)

So much for "predictable". As Pirsig says, its just "a very consistent pattern
of preferences". I agree

[Platt]
By your analogy, biological entities can appear and disappear like  quarks. Let
me know how that's done because I have a few termites I'd  like to have
disappear.

[Arlo]
The point is that "predictable behaviour" is another myth.

[Arlo previously]  
Dynamic Quality is not contained by static patterns.

[Platt]
Right, but the pattern of an individual human being can respond to it.

[Arlo]
As can the pattern of a cell, or a cat (my condolensces on UTOE, by the way).
"Quality is the response of an organism to its environment". 

Arlo