[MD] Platt's Individual Level

[Arlo J. Bensinger]

[Gene to Plattman]
Although I think the most interesting thing here is the word 'credited'. These
individuals are "credited with achieving great things". It's society that makes
them important as individuals. Their ideas can be famous without them.

[Arlo]
Yep. "Credit" is social-cultural convention.

[Gene]
As individuals they were extremely beneficial to society, so we remember them.
Their ideas were extremely beneficial to intellect, so we remember those as
well. We just happen to remember them in a way that links the two kinds of
importance together. That's society's doing.

[Arlo]
And you could say, could you not, that the "society" was also "extremely
beneficial" to these "individuals", could you not? This is the dialogic
interplay between the two. Had Einstein been abandoned on a deserted isle
(without even the company of Gilligan) he would never have said "E=mc2". His
agency derives from the collective in which he exists. The collective derives
from the agency of those within.

[Gene]
A great idea doesn't need to make anybody famous to be great. A great idea is
retained for it's own benefit. The idea Can be unlinked from the thinker.

[Arlo]
Careful, Gene. You'll tick off the capistrocracy with statements like that. :-)

[Plattman to Case]
The story related by Pirsig makes the point that individuals are responsible for
social evolution. Other stories about the brujo are irrelevant.

[Gene]
So the truth is irrelevant? That seems an odd stance to take. Not a very
intellectual stance to take...

[Arlo]
And this surprises you?