[MD] Dawkins a Materialist (is watching?)

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Platt offers]
"Although Dynamic Quality, the Quality of freedom, creates this world in which
we live, these patterns of static quality, the quality of order, preserve our
world. Neither static nor Dynamic Quality can survive without the other."
(Lila, 9)

Notice, "man" need not apply.

[Arlo had offered]
"The Quality which creates the world emerges as a relationship between man and
his experience."

The sentences are not contradictory. I could embed them with no loss of clarity.

"Although Dynamic Quality, the Quality of freedom, creates this world in which
we live, emerges as a relationship between man and his experience, these
patterns of static quality, the quality of order, preserve our world. Neither
static nor Dynamic Quality can survive without the other." (Combined)

The latter does not replace, deny nor contradict the former.

You know, I can't think of any other philosopher whom we should (as you suggest)
ignore everything they did and focus exclusively, in a vacuum, their latest
work. Especially when said philosopher refers to his earlier work as "the path
to enlightenment". 

[Platt]
In ZMM, R/C was his initial metaphysical split. In Lila, he changed it to S/D --
a major change since it "dominates everything beneath it." 

[Arlo]
And the quote above has nothing to do with the R/C split, but is about Quality.
When I hear Pirsig saying we can, and should, ignore his first book, I'll
consider it. In the meantime, they are not contradictory, but mutually
supportive. ZMM, the path to enlightenment. LILA, the path back.

And you still have shown me nothing from LILA that contradicts or denies
Pirsig's statement.

"The Quality which creates the world emerges as a relationship between man and
his experience."

Yes, Mr. Pirsig, I agree that it does.

[Arlo previously]
Intellectual realities are paintings in an art gallery. Now THAT, amigos, is a
good metaphor.

[Platt]
Yes, but you can't eat intellectual realities.

[Arlo]
Nor can you eat paintings. Well, you could try, I suppose. 

[Arlo previously]
Out of nothingness, into nothingness. Or as the wise bard Andrew Eldritch penned
"Words are just dust."
 
[Platt]
Yes, but you won't live long without words.

[Arlo]
Nor will you live long if that's all you have.