[MD] Flying Spaghetti Monsters

[Platt Holden]

Hi Ham, 

> Platt understands the concept of individualism, as does Laramie Loewen who
> occasionally participates in this forum.  You and I are on the same page
> philosophically, Micah; and it's the cardinal issue for me.  It's also a
> losing argument here.  We stand accused of either solipsism or Randianism.
> As long as the Pirsigians dismiss proprietary awareness as the fundamental
> core of experiential reality, they will be unable to comprehend the point
> of existence or the meaning of the individual life.

I hope I haven't led you astray with my celebration of the individual vs. 
the mob. To me what is proprietary to the individual is ability, not 
awareness. Awareness (mind) is something shared by all living creatures, 
and to a primitive extent, particles and atoms. (You may recall my 
recommending to you a paper on panexperientialism.)  But abilities vary 
widely. Few artists will achieve the excellence of a Valasquez;.few 
philosophers the influence of Aristotle; few playwrights the depth of 
Shakespeare, few physicists the insights of Einstein; few politicians the 
wisdom of Lincoln. Individual creativity leading to individual 
accomplishment is what sets individuals apart from the collective masses, 
not awareness. Without such individuals, humans would still live in caves, 
shivering from lack of a fire. Some one always is first.

As for the idealism that you, Micah and Pirsig seem to share, I don't buy 
it. I didn't make the universe; I wasn't even there at the time. Nor does 
a chicken depend on my seeing her lay an egg for me to enjoy eating it for 
breakfast. That when we turn around what's in back of us disappears is fun 
for freshman in high school to argue, but hardly a worthy conjecture for 
serious philosophy. The days of Bishop Berkeley and his "esse is percipi" 
are long gone.

But, despite reservations about idealism, I consider myself a Pirsigian 
because what counts in his metaphysics is that the world is a moral order. 
The underlying premise that some things are better than others fits nicely 
with my honoring the individual. And, the MOQ's explanatory power is 
second to none, answering, for example, such imponderables as, "Why 
survive?" 

But, I could be wrong.

Best regards,
Platt