[MD] Nihilism

[Heather Perella]

Gav and Marsha,

     I also have tried to understand this term.  I
believe I know what it means according to Ham, but I'm
not understanding how what I'm about to say can be
contrived to mean nihilism.  Maybe I've got Pirsig's
MOQ all wrong, but this is how I view some of his
metaphysics.  I'd appreciate any collabration to clear
up any misleadings as to how I've decided what Pirsig
means.
     I don't believe in nihilism, but do believe in
nothingness.  I know Pirsig uses levels, but I have
always understood those levels to be quality.  When I
think of quality I perceive an undifferentiated
universe, a primary reality that has no distinctions. 
One can perceive levels, but these levels overlap. 
These levels can even overlap to the point where no
levels exist at all.  Have I been understanding
Pirsig's levels?  His levels can become concrete
discretion or overlapping non-distinctions.  How these
levels can go back and forth between these two
unseemingly extreme perceptions is due to static
patterns and dynamic quality being one in the same,
essentially, known as quality?  Does this make sense? 
These non-distinctions is nothingness and as Gav
stated the no-thingness actually provides an even
clearer perception of a moral universe.  I would say
that nothingness also provides clarity to things, too.
 I'm not quite understanding how nihilism is implied
in all of what I've said either.

     Maybe we can scoot each other along in
understanding nihilism, and have some help from
others, too.

Thanks,
SA


 
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