[MD] Ironistic Metaphysics

[John Carl]

Ron, Matt, Steve and all,

On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 7:57 AM, X Acto <xacto at rocketmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> Matt:
> I'm actually a little startled, because I take the question
> Steve to be asking is interestingly new.
>


"New" to you Ron is probably more striking to you than new to me, but I was
struck by the question also and it has stayed with me.  I think Pirsig is
Ironistic, if I know at all what the term means, philosophically.  In fact,
I think I would term the MoQ as Ironistic Absolutism.  Like that? Its where
you believe in the the absolute existence of Quality which cannot be
defined, thus all definitions of this absolute are held ironically.

But is it true that Quality cannot be defined?  Perhaps Quality can be
defined, only not in words.

Hmmm...

Quality cannot be defined in words, only in life.

Like that.




> 2. the Latin mistranslation of the term "the science of what is beyond the
> physical".
>
> Two, is what we commonly understand the term "metaphysics" to mean.
>
> In this light, the term "philosophy" is taken to be the generator of
> "metaphysics"
>
>

One caveat, Ron, could we say "behind" instead of "beyond"?  That way we
solve the problem you explicate below.  Quality as the generator of matter
is behind the creation of matter, is the cause of matter and there is no
contradiction then.



> What Pirsig seems to do is use the term in the context "the science of what
> is beyond the physical"
> but then contradicts this meaning in his assertions of Quality which
> rejects the concepts of matter
> undercutting the terms meaning. which basically equates his metaphysics
> with what Socrates termed as  the love of wisdom or inquirey.
>


>
> It would seem that Pirsig is Ironic if one holds the context of the meaning
> of the
> term "metaphysic" as "the science of what is beyond the physical".
>


Works for me!


John the agreeable