[MD] What is knowledge?

[David Harding]

Hi Marsha,

> This is interesting.  I was thinking of the knowledge held in
> prehistoric times of the medicinal use of herbs, bark, roots, etc.
> when I presented the question.  I have read the letter to Paul, and I
> understand the difference made by Pirsig between the Intellectual and
> Social Level.  But it never dawned on me that the MOQ would change
> the meaning of the word 'knowledge' in philosophy itself.

I don't think the MOQ changes the meaning of words as written in the  
dictionary.

> That seems
> strange.  What do you think the new word would be for the _stuff_
> held in ones mind concerning medicinal herbs in my example above?   I
> understand that the Intellectual Level represents _abstract_ thinking?

I remember seeing a documentary on monkeys who used something they  
found in the wild to rub themselves with it and thus repelling  
mosquito bites.  Monkeys, being on the social level have no ability  
for abstract thought. In the same documentary they would try all  
sorts of different things to open a chestnut.  A lucky few had  
developed a technique to crack open the chestnut with a stone.  But  
this technique was made all by trial and error. The same is true of  
the mosquito bite repellent. If you watch them, they just try a whole  
bunch of different things until something works, no thought necessary.

Marsha also wrote:

> I might add if the answer to the second question is that you 'know'
> something from experience, things again get might confusing.

I don't see any contradiction here.

Cheers,

David.