[MD] The Word is Not the Thing

[skutvik at online.no]

Hi John

Now that the lectern is free I return to this issue.

Sep 17. you spoke thus 

> > I came across something that seemed relevant to the discussion,
> > so I typed it out.  Royce's letter verbatim, but the poetic spacing is
> > my own.

Royce to William James, Sept. 19, 1880 (I leave your poetic spacing 
for my conventional indention. 

    If experience is possible only through this constructive 
    process, then what is the ultimate datum?  

    Not matter. Not mind. Not a series of experiences, not the 
    distinction of object and subject, but just this: a moment of 
    reception of some content, joined with a constructive act that 
    postulates a world of other consciousness beyond the present 
    data. Reception means a passive state of consciousness, 
    construction an active state. An Union of passion and action in 
    one moment only, Herein is contained all we can think about 
    the universe.  

Royce's "Passion/Action" is more edible than James' "Flux/Concept" 
... if we at all need to compare the MOQ with anything going before it 
(totally unnecessary IMO) at least if we limit it to Pirsig's first gropings 
in ZAMM about a new metaphysical division to replace the 
subject/object one. At that point subject & objects (AKA SOM) were 
Quality's first and only "fall-out" and as SOM=intellect (so it says in 
ZAMM) it (intellect) emerged (dynamically) from the social level and 
as the 3rd. level's "expression" is emotion Royce's "passion" (which is 
THE emotion)  fits like the proverbial hand and glove.

Regret all my inserts and brackets and tendencies to "..resolve 
metaphysical issues at the end of each sentence" but speaking to 
novices ;-)

Bodvar