[MD] guidebook/primer

[David M]

Hi Ian

I'd like to agree that the quality has dropped
with the loss of Sam, Matt, Paul and Scott.
They tried to expand rather than narrow the
possibilities of the MOQ. I think the Dewey book
offers some hope, and of course Rorty has linked
Dewey to Heidegger, and that link into Continental
Philosophy could help to contextualise Pirsig
for that side of philosophy, but some people prefer
borders to inter-change it seems.

As it is, Pirsig looks like he will remain marginal, but it
could change. I find some of the anti-scientistic leanings
of books & essays appearing at the moment intriguing,
Andrew Bowie on Schelling, Don Cupitt and Anthony Rudd
on Heidegger, John Dupre's Disorder of Things. What next
I wonder? No one is yet fully exploring the gap between
wisdom and science.

David M

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ian glendinning" <psybertron at gmail.com>
To: <moq_discuss at moqtalk.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2006 2:03 PM
Subject: Re: [MD] guidebook/primer


> DMB, I've clearly offended you and left you doubting my sincerity, but
> it's good to keep talking. Sorry I missed you behind the bike sheds,
> but I was otherwise engaged for a fortnight, no honestly, I was :-).
>
> Anyway ... Dumbing Down ? Pirsig stands on his own merits. His MoQ
> stands in academic circles according to the work of Ant and others ...
> When you wrote your excellent piece for the 2005 conference you didn't
> start with technical philosphic terms you started with the story of a
> boy and his dad on a campsite. Different writing for different
> purposes. Rhetoric. People shouldn't be spared the hard facts, just
> led to them with quality engaging narrative. (You are the last person
> to need my advice on writing quality !)
>
> (The irony is Mark since confirmed his piece with the 3 out of 5
> opening technical terms was indeed for a gradutate philosophy audience
> anyway.)
>
> What is the "pitfall" I'm trying to save "us" from ? Losing good
> contributions from good people who get turned off by the cliquey,
> cultish, inner circle, laying on of hands impression, and who vote
> with their feet. Paul, Matt, Scott, and no doubt others anonymous to
> me. Sam of course too, you will point out, but as a theologian he was
> always going to have hard time "inside" the atheist MoQ, but his
> thinking and argumentation is nevertheless a quality contribution
> lost.  That's my only "conscience pricking" motive. I do not have it
> in for Ant or anyone else, except maybe Platt ;-) in any personal way.
>
> E-mail is a useless medium for communication, BTW.
>
> Regards
> Ian
>
> On 10/12/06, david buchanan <dmbuchanan at hotmail.com> wrote:
>> Ian said to Mark:
>> Your point (1) inlcudes five words three of which would be a turn-off to 
>> a
>> "lay person" Metaphysics, Mystic and Monism. Quality is the word people 
>> will
>> recognise ... that's why Bob chose it. ...As I say an expert on the 
>> subject
>> is not necessarily the best person to draft or edit public facing 
>> summaries
>>
>> dmb says:
>> I disagree. Comprehension of the subject is a crucial pre-requisite, a
>> necessary but insufficient condition. And I think your suggestion that 
>> the
>> "lay person" be spared terms like "metaphysics", "mystic" and "monism" 
>> shows
>> exactly why. This kind of omission would distort the MOQ beyond all
>> recognition and turn Pirsig into a platitude spouting romantic. It stinks 
>> of
>> dumbed-down compromise already.
>>
>> _________________________________________________________________
>> Be seen and heard with Windows Live Messenger and Microsoft LifeCams
>> http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwme0020000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/digitalcommunication/default.mspx?locale=en-us&source=hmtagline
>>
>> moq_discuss mailing list
>> Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc.
>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org
>> Archives:
>> http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/
>> http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
>>
> moq_discuss mailing list
> Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc.
> http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org
> Archives:
> http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/
> http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
>