[MD] Teachings from the American Earth (Part I)

[skutvik at online.no]

Platt and Arlo.

On 4 Feb. Platt wrote:

> Quoting ARLO J BENSINGER JR <ajb102 at psu.edu>:

> > [Platt]
> > MOQ intellect is a step above S/O intellect approaching the higher
> > art level, but still within the general level of intellect.

This is a long way towards a reasonable 4th level. "MOQ- 
Intellect" sounds a bit peculiar, but it indicates at least that the 
MOQ itself is beyond/above its own static levels. In my opinion 
also beyond "the general level of intellect".  

In another post you praised this country for being exempt from 
the "political correct" pressure (I call it the "mea culpa" trend), but 
regrettably it looms as large over here as everywhere, but there 
are some voices in the wilderness and I have the impression that 
their number is growing.         

> > [Arlo]
> > So you are subdividing the intellectual level into a "lower" strata,
> > S/O, and a "higher" strata, MOQ? 

It sounds as if you regard the multi-strata intellect as wrong, I 
wish you were right, but I'm afraid it's dogma: Aretê (and the 
Native American version of it) the original good intellect, then 
SOM as a faulty strata and finally MOQ as the correct intellectual 
strata.  

> > I assume you side with Bo in
> > believing that no other culture has ever gone higher than the social
> > level? (Except for a brief episode surrounding the Upanishads). In
> > other words, you would say that this "MOQ intellect" is exclusive to
> > Western American culture (or subculture, if you will)?

Yes, it looks like Platt and I agree about the illusion of seeing the 
American Indians as having some special DQ-filled existence  (or 
whatever it is is you claim?) They surely lived a QUALITY-filled 
existence - none can avoid that - and theirs was one of social 
quality. BTW, I sincerely hope you will respond at some greater 
length to my post in this thread (to you) than these scant remarks 
by proxy. 

Bo