[MD] Chance

[Ham Priday]

Arlo --


> Ham,
>
> Your contention is that the cosmos is entirely deterministic apart from 
> "man"?
> I'd ask you if before "man" the cosmos was devoid of "value", but you've
> already stated that the universe did not exist before "man". Your
> solipstic/theistic view  is fine but is in contrast to the MOQ and one I 
> have
> no interest in. Thanks.

Despite your disinterest in my "theistic view", Pirsigians like yourself 
should understand that there is no value without a sensible agent.  In the 
absence of sensibility "value" is moot and unrealized, just as visual images 
are unrealized by a blind person.  It is value sensibility that connects the 
individual to its primordial source, and it is the intellect which converts 
this sensibility to the space/time experience of physical reality.

All knowledge is derived from experience which is contingent upon the 
self/other dichotomy.  Unfortunately, in his haste to "overcome" duality, 
Mr. Pirsig has dismissed the subjective consciousness and posited Value 
(Quality) as an independent realm.  This thesis is illogical and 
epistemologically unsupportable.

So, I'll return your appraisal by saying that I have no interest in an 
ontology that does not acknowledge the individuated self as the agent of 
value.

Thanks for your candor,
--Ham