[MD] British Emergentism

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Andre]
Funny this. See the resemblences?

[Arlo]
Sadly, yes. Platt's been unable to wrap his head around this for 
quite sometime, it seems. He continues to be trapped in a 
reductionist vision, needing that "first pattern" or "first 
something" or whatever. Even when Pirsig is quite clear that ALL 
patterns are responses to Quality, he still "needs" that first 
pattern that somehow was NOT a response to Quality.

Now he's trapped in a "when", which is nonsensical.

Since Pirsig says clearly "Experience is the starting point", Platt's 
question "When did the starting point begin?" is asking "When did 
experience begin?".

Since Quality=Experience, he is also in effect asking "When did 
Quality begin?".

He is rooting for that first initial "act" of his Grand Designer 
Qualigod. And this is why he spins his wheels and just can't seem to 
understand.

"Since experience is the starting point, it doesn't arise from a 
lower level of no experience." (Pirsig)

[Platt]
If experience is the starting point, time is presumed

[Arlo]
No. "Time" is a perceptual pattern derived from the experience of 
sufficiently complex patterns of life. Atoms do not experience "time".