[MD] Platt's Individual Level

[Steve Peterson]

Hi Platt,

[Steve]
> Honest is something we say about a person whereas truth is
> something we say about an assertion. In Platt's SOLWAQI the
> individual is not distinguished from the ideas he holds so
> there is no difference between truth and honesty, but the
> MOQ makes a clear distinction between the two.
> 
> That distinction is consistent with the distinction that
> Pirsig makes here:
> 
> "A person who holds an
> idea is a social entity, no matter what ideas he
> holds. The ideas he holds are an intellectual entity,
> no matter who holds them." Lila's Child

[Platt]
Pirsig defines a person (individual): 

"The MOQ divides the hominem, or "individual" into four parts: 
inorganic, biological, and intellectual." (Lila's Child) No separation 
of an individual from her ideas, just as there's not separation from 
from her biology.

[Steve]
I'm not doing any sort of separation. I'm saying that the 
terms honesty and truth refer to two different aspects of
the same individual. Truth is about whether an intellectual entity
(an idea) is good to believe. Honesty is about whether a 
particular social entity is good to believe.


[Platt]
In the same passage, Pirsig makes the point that anyone who calls 
someone's idea stupid (WAQI) engages in a form of evil.

[Steve]
Actually, Pirsig is using the same reasoning that I did in
distinguishing honesty and truth when says that calling
someone's idea stupid is a form of evil. An idea can't 
literally be stupid, only a person can. So if I said, Platt,
SOLWAQI is a stupid idea, I would be in effect saying that 
that idea is something that only a stupid person would come 
up with. SOLWAQI implies that only a crazy person would think
such a thing. I agree that it is immoral to use such a term, but 
I can live with it.

Regards,
Steve




 		
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