[MD] Chance, Dynamic Quality and the MOQ

[Ham Priday]

Thanks, Platt --


> I don't remember anything about Beasley, but what you quote
> from his essay suggests why I find him forgettable. He attacks
> the foundation of the MOQ -- Quality.

I found Beasley's personal information under "Lila Squad Members" at MOQ.org 
while you were challenging Ian and Arlo in a few rounds of Chance. 
Apparently he is (or was) a science teacher, sculptor, and Gestalt therapist 
living with an Irish wife in North Queensland, Australia.

> Quality created the universe. Call it "theologising" if you wish, but
> that's just saying "I'm an atheist." Why would life suddenly "bring 
> value?"
> What brought life in the first place? The MOQ provides an answer. As I
> recall, your Essence philosophy does, too. But apparently Beasley is of
> the school that thinks something comes from nothing by chance, the theory
> of Oops -- a barren theory if there ever was one.

Not to interrupt your game with a minor dispute, but I don't see Beasley's 
concerns with a "Quality Creator" in this essay as a rejection of Pirsig's 
philosophy or an endorsement of creation by chance.  In fact, I agree with 
him that life -- human life, in particular -- brings value into being, not 
"suddenly" but incrementally, differentially, and by choice.  I would have 
expected that last line of Beasley's quote to appeal to you:

"Human life brings a magnificent unfolding of quality,
 which emerges in intellect, as Pirsig correctly asserts,
 but also in art and ethics and creativity, and none of these
 flower without education, as we know from study of the
 wolf-boy, the individual raised alone."

Although he doesn't address the question "what brought life in the first 
place?" he does say (as I do) that "Quality only makes sense as seen from 
the perspective of the organism."  IMO anyone who doesn't have reservations 
about quality as the progenitor hasn't thought it through logically.  But I 
guess questioning the fundamentals laid down by Pirsig is heresy in this 
forum.

Anyway, I appreciate the courtesy of your reply, and wish you luck in 
wherever you're going with Chance..

Kindest regards,
Ham