[MD] Overcoming the System

[Ian Glendinning]

OK, Matt,

Metaphor of system, OK. ... for WHAT (is what I'm looking for).
Ever, at all, for anything ?

For the whole idea of philosphy ? I've already agreed.
Not much use as a metaphor, though I did point out (as an aside on
"philsophology") that you actually seemed to be doing that yourself.

For any particular philosophy / metaphysics / world-view / model.
I can't see a problem with using a metaphor of system, a system
metaphor, systems-thinking ...
And at this point I move from the general to the particular ... but hold.

So, I'm re-reading the whole thread, carefully as I can ...

I asked a question about a quote you used, and the only contentious
thing I remarked on in the initial "system" was that you branded the
MoQ as some weird monster. I questioned that, and from that point ...
for a while I definitely (wrongly) thought we were talking about the
MoQ.

The three / four times repeated piece ... this you mean ?
""The deal is, if you're focused on the system (a _philosophy_), then
you're ability to repair _the system_ becomes your ability to not fall
into disarray in the world. If you come across a problem that you
can't for the life of you figure out how to fix (we can't be ingenious
all the time)--isn't that _exactly_ what happened to Pirsig in ZMM...?
"But, if instead you are focused on life, then you're already well
aware that there are tons of problems that you face, not all of them
at once, some you defer, like that problem with your philosophy you
just...can't...work...out--ah, screw it, I need to do the dishes right
now, or feed myself, or ..."

Clearly, obviously, agreed.
Apart from a professional philosopher whose life was their philosophy,
anyone focussing on any philsophy to the exclusion of life would be a
fool, or an obsessive paranoid of some sort. MY POINT in response to
that (ie having got that already), would be that that this seems to be
true whether one has system metaphor view of philosophy or not ? Do
you get my point, or am I missing one of yours ?

My other - now incidental - points ... in defence of this "weird
monster" we know as the MoQ were
(a) it seems fine as system metaphor
(b) it's primary focus is on experience and awareness of life.
Anywhere other than this discussion board, I barely give the MoQ
"system" a second thought - I focus on the qualities of living life.
It only enters my head as a system, if I stop to analyse / debate some
knotty moral decision point.

Did I get it in the "clearly, obviously, agreed" point above ?

Regards
Ian