[MD] Julian Baggini interview

[Squonkonguitar at aol.com]

Ant McWatt stated to Mark Maxwell October 31st:

The Pirsig interview  with the Philosophers Magazine is still available  at:

www.philosophersnet.com/magazine/pirsig_transcript.htm

While a  collation of Pirsig’s responses for the interview (which was OK’ed 
with  Pirsig) is available in the form of an “MOQ Summary”  at:

www.robertpirsig.org/MOQSummary.htm

A complete transcript of  the interview doesn’t really exist as it was 
conducted via a number of  e-mails (with Pirsig, Baggini and myself).  
However, the only parts  “missing” from the above are social niceties and a 
few linking sentences  which became irrelevant when these e-mails were all 
collated  together.


Mark then noted to Ant McWatt October 31st:

>Hi  Anthony,
>A complete transcript does exist and Julian will be happy to  provide it for 
>you.
>Hope to see it on the site  soon.
>Love,
>Mark

Ant McWatt  comments:

Mark,

That was good of Baggini to offer me a “complete  transcript” of the 
Philosopher’s Magazine interview.  However, the MOQ  Summary is how I decided 
(with Pirsig’s blessing) to finally present this  material at 
robertpirsig.org as Pirsig’s answers by themselves make a good,  to-the-point 
essay.  (Remember, I don't run a website called  julianbaggini.org !)
 
Mark 1-11-06: Hello Anthony.
No wonder i missed the interview on your site. One can easily visit  
robertpirsig.org and leave with no idea there ever was an interview with Robert  
Pirsig in The Philosophy Magazine (TPM).
 
TPM is a respected philosophical source and i should have thought it to be  a 
superb advert for the MoQ to be associated with a high profile publication as 
 a measure of the MoQ's expanding reach. However:

There is no reference to the TPM interview on robertpirsig.org.
There is no link to the full TPM transcript either.
Neither TPM or Baggini are referenced as primary sources in the  essay you 
edited, which is a bit odd considering your academic training.
The full transcript is about three times longer. (Questions give it a flow  
and tension between Baggini's position and MoQ responses. This is a rare  
event.)
At one point in the full transcript Pirsig acknowledges his approval of the  
questions and the manner in which they are being asked. If Pirsig approved of  
the medium i can't understand why it isn't available, whole, or as a  link, 
on robertpirsig.org.
Anyone wishing to see the whole transcript easily and for free is being  
denied the opportunity.
You may not run a website called julianbaggini.org, or TPM.org, but i now  
understand anthonymcwatt is a filter through which perceptions of Pirsig are  
mediated at robertpirsig.org.
I conclude Robert Pirsig approves and attribute responsibility for the  
site's contents, and more especially it's omissions, to him.
I know others in my department will do the same.
 
Having said that, if the interview version at www.philosophersnet.com (i.e.  
the version that  includes Baggini’s questions) was removed at some  point 
(and it wasn’t available elsewhere on the internet) then I would have  a 
re-think about featuring this version (or this “complete transcript” you  
mention) at robertpirsig.org as well.

Best  wishes,

Anthony.
 
Mark 1-11-06:
Thanks for clearing things up.
Love,
Mark