[MD] What is knowledge?

[MarshaV]

At 08:36 PM 6/23/2007, you wrote:
>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.

I'll have to think about this.


> > 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.

Zen


>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.

There is something strange in trying to know about knowing. The 
question is, does epistemology change within the MOQ?  Does the 
definition of 'knowing' change?  I just thought your limiting 
knowledge to the Intellectual level was interesting.

Marsha