[MD] MOQ and the Future: An Inquiry into Usefulness

[craigerb at comcast.net]

> [Platt] 
>   Pirsig claims the MOQ explains ultimate reality. From his annotations to 
>   the Copleston paper: 
> "The MOQ, on the other hand, explains evil in evolutionary terms that 
> are compatible with its theory of ultimate reality."  

> [Craig, peviously] 
> This quote of course does not say the explanation is an ULTIMATE 
> explanation, only that it is "compatible with the MoQ theory of ultimate reality." 

[Platt] 
> You're confusing an ultimate explanation with ultimate reality. 



You missed my point, which was that an ultimate explanation is distinct 
from (but compatible with) an ultimate reality.     

> [Craig, previously ] 
> Do we have a complete understanding of the MoQ? 
>   If not then we don't have an ulltimate explanation. 

[Platt] 
> You're confusing understanding with explanation.      


The 2 are very closely related.  I can memorize an explanation & 

recite it back without any understanding.  But in normal circumstances 
we test a person's understanding by asking them to explain. 


[Craig, previously] 
> Why is there quality rather than none? 

[Platt] 
> Pirsig answers ...  " . . . a world from 
> which value is subtracted becomes unrecognizable." (Lila, 9) 

This answers the question "How do we know there is quality/value". 

It doesn't answer the question "Why is there?" 

Perhaps we need to distinguish 2 senses of "ultimate explanation". 

In the strong sense an  "ultimate explanation" would explain 
everything:  there would be no mysteries or uncertainties. 
In the weak sense an  "ultimate explanation" would explain 
everything that can be explained. 

I don't think an ultimate explanation in the strong sense is possible & 
without it, I don't think we could ever know we had an 
"ultimate explanation" in the weak sense. 
The MoQ might be a FUNDAMENTAL explantion. 
I.e., an explanation that no other explanation can be more 
fundamental than.  But can we know this or only keep 
challenging it.     
Craig