[MD] Flying Spaghetti Monsters

[LARAMIE LOEWEN]

Good evening Ham, Readers --

"Unfortunately, your evolutionary definition of intellect strikes me as "step backward" 
in this dialogue.  Not that it was intentional on your part, but my whole thrust is to 
discourage any notion that Mind, Intellect, and Consciousness are external entities 
floating around in space like the brass ring of a carousel for the individual to "grab onto"."

Intellect, Mind or Consciousness as Field or Ground is evolutionary in the sense that it's 
something the individual awakens to.  It's ever present, though usually tacit.  We as 
individuals develop our sense of it.  Definitely not an external entity - who has suggested 
that?  Consciousness is the interior space or field in which external entities are manifest.    

"I'm not sure what "cognizing" Intellect implies -- establishing a universal definition for it?"

Establishing awareness of it.  The significance of this is that it allows us to transcend our 
habitual identification with conditioned emotional, cultural and conceptual identifications and
cultivate greater autonomy and objectivity.  

"Yes, we evolve to a "level" of intellect, just as we evolve to a "level" of competence, "level" 
in this context having nothing especially to do with Pirsig's Quality breakout, however.  But I 
suspect Ayn Rand would reach out of her grave for another cigarette if she knew how anxious 
Pirsigians are to disparage individual intellect."

Excuse me for not being clear, but the intellect I'm referring to does have some correspondence 
to Pirsig's Quality breakout.  And it's universal, not individual.  Individual only in the sense that it's 
the individual who may realize it and from there develop it.  What?  Consciousness, Mind or 
Intellect evolves through conscious human intention - it's up to YOU - your very own evolution
and development at the deepest level.     

Laramie