[MD] The Word is Not the Thing

[skutvik at online.no]

Platt, All, including Arlo and Steve

14 Sep. you wrote;

> The great debate about whether the MOQ belongs to the intellectual
> level or not may have a rather simple solution. It both belongs to the
> intellectual level and it doesn't. As a description of reality it's a
> static intellectual pattern. As the central reality it's Dynamic --
> beyond words.  

It isn't every day a new metaphysics - in the true sense as reality's 
fundament - is in the offing, in fact, as the MOQ is supposed to replace 
SOM and SOM emerged as described in ZAMM - it's two thousand 
five hundred years ago, and many changes will take place. .   

> I've come to this conclusion by reviewing Pirsig's comment in Lila's
> Child to an assertion I made about the MOQ many years ago, namely that
> "The MOQ is an SOM document based on SOM reasoning." (and by
> implication belonging to the intellectual level). In note 132 Pirsig
> wrote:

    "It employs SOM reasoning the SOM reasoning employs social 
    structures such as courts and journals and learned societies to 
    make itself known. SOM reasoning is not subordinate to these 
    social structures, and the MOQ is not subordinate to the SOM 
    structures it employs. Remember the central reality of the 
    MOQ is not an object or a subject or anything else. It is 
    understood by direct experience only and not by reasoning of 
    any kind." 

I set Pirsig's words apart because this reveals - first - that he sees 
SOM as the intellectual level rather than an "illness" that has infected 
an otherwise healthy intellect. It's SOM that employs the social  level's 
structures, while not being subordinate to it ... etc. not a mind-like 
"intellect" that SOM  has infested. Next the MOQ performs the same 
operation of employing intellect's S/O-reasoning to establish itself as a 
meta-level beyond intellect. 

About the "central reality of the MOQ" this is the dynamic part of its 
DQ/SQ aggregate and poses no problem for the static sequence and 
its wrorkings 

Will return to the rest of Platt's excellent input, but this is so important 
that is requires a separate post. Wonder what Arlo and Steve say if 
they spot it?

Bodvar