[MD] Platt's Individual Level

[Steve Peterson]

Hi Platt, Marsha,


Platt said:

Perhaps this will help. The social level demands conformity. The 
individual demands freedom. Of the two, which is the higher morality? 
For me and for Pirsig, the answer is the latter.


Steve:
For Pirsig, "freedom" just means that something is bad:

"The hippies had in mind something that they wanted, and were calling it ``freedom,'' but in the final analysis ``freedom'' is a purely negative goal. It just says something is bad."

also...

RMP:
"The experience of freedom and the experience of Dynamic Quality are similar although it’s important not to carry that analogy too far. Freedom always occurs as a negation of some static pattern. Dynamic Quality is affirmative."

Platt quoted:
"Freedom of speech; freedom of assembly, of travel; trial by jury; 
habeas corpus; government by consent-these "human rights" are all 
intellect-vs.-society issues. According to the Metaphysics of Quality 
these "human rights" have not just a sentimental basis, but a rational, 
metaphysical basis. They are essential to the evolution of a higher 
level of life from a lower level of life. They are for real."

Steve:
To say that these patterns are essential to the evolution of a higher level suggests that these patterns are on a lower level. To me these are social patterns that were influenced by a lot of thinking (intellectual patterns).

Regards,
Steve

 		
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