[MD] Distinguishing Levels (Brujo story)

[Steve Peterson]

Hi Platt,


> > [Steve]
> > What intellectual patterns won? I saw that whole
> story as being set
> > pretty much in the social level.
> > 
> > [Platt]
> > The brujo made an intellectual connection with the
> white man:
> > 
> > "The brujo had shown he could deal successfully
> with the one tribe that
> > could easily wipe them out any time it wanted to.
> It wasn't just a sweet
> > singing voice that made him governor of Zuni. He
> had real political
> > clout."

Steve says:

That's your evidence for an intellectual connection
and your whole theory about the brujo story supporting
your SOLAQI-like MD legacy-seeking improvement upon
Pirsig's work, i.e the intellectual = individual
versus social = the collective?

I just reread ch 9 (you know, the chapter where he
introduces his static-Dynamic split as the first cut
of Quality), and I decided that it really is about the
static-Dynamic split as the first cut of Quality
rather than a conflict bewteen the intellectual and
social levels since he never mentions that in the
entire chapter.

I am really disappointed that you continue to cling to
your statement that the point of the brujo story is to
show that the brujo representing the intellectual
level in the form of an "individual" wins out over the
the social level which you like to think of as the
collective, and that you provided that quote as
evidenence without any detectable irony. (Were you
being ironic?)

It seems to me that if Pirsig's point was about
intellectual-social conflict he would have been
explicit about it. He never beats around the bush with
that sort of thing.

Come on, Platt, It won't kill you to admit it. Repeat
after me, "I, Platt Holden, was as wrong about the
Individual level in general and the brujo story in
particular as Bo was about SOLAQI. Further, I will no
longer seek to leave a legacy by trying to improve
upon Pirig's MOQ by renaming or redrescribing levels
and will be satisfied as having the argumentative
tactic known as the Platteral Shift as my only legacy
in this discussion group." ;-)

In all seriousness, though I really think you have
gone off the deep end with this Individual level thing
the way Bo did with SOLAQI, I agree with Pirsig's
statement that the MOQ has had no better friend.
Without you I think this discussion group would have
degenerated long ago into New Agey nonsense in its
attempt to understand DQ. With your conservative
views, you are the rock that we sharpen are arguments
against. When the conversation lulls you are always
ready with a quote or provacative statement to get the
discussion going again. That is your legacy as far as
I am concerned. 

Regards,
Steve

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