[MD] Reading & Comprehension

[skutvik at online.no]

Mary, DMB, Andre,

Mary said:
> So, I ask again.  What are the Intellectual Level value patterns?  ...and
> am I doing any better at making myself understood?

Mary, your strong-interpretation of the intellectual level (and thereby of 
the MOQ) will never be understood by the weak-dittos so don't let 
DMB impress you. Pirsig launched a series of intellectual patterns and 
all are about rising above social despotism (social  a great progress 
compared with biological "dog eat dog" yet ...) there certainly are more 
off-shoots from these and off-shoots from off-shoots, but the morals 
(the code) is clear.   

DMB said :
> I think there are way too many pattens to name so I guess I don't
> understand the question. I don't think there is an essence or core
> governing value of the intellect. But when you add the general idea of
> betterness to the social-intellectual moral code (the rights that
> protect the intellect from social level interference), you can see how
> the idea is just to open a space for intellectual freedom. 

This is nonsensical. It's a MOQ tenet that all levels arose from the 
former because DQ despised the confinement of any static level as 
soon as it was established, intellect no exception, it's all about 
"escaping" social patterns. "Open a space for intellectual freedom" ?? 
Intellect was the opening of freedom FROM society. Like the MOQ is a 
freedom from intellects confinement, but here the buck stops, the 
MOQ is neither static nor dynamic but the Alta Vista where the Q-
context is seen.  

Andre said:
> Yes dmb, there are 'too many' and this indeed points to the heart of (and
> is an answer to) Mary's question. It seems to me that the Intellectual
> Level values differentiation. As Pirsig says, to live in an ordered
> universe one cannot escape metaphysics. As soon as you apply the
> analytical knife, as soon as you ask the 'Why" question, you are at the
> intellectual level...and you divide, and chop and change, arrange and
> re-arrange. The Intellectual Level differentiates and orders, asks
> questions about this 'ordering', and has the ability to come up with
> explanations (which are always provisional). And if the explanations fail
> the empirical 'test' then it has the ability ( and duty [haha]) to revise
> itself.

This "intellect" is the thinking compartment, the MIND of SOM where 
ideas - even the grand ones called metaphysics - are conceived. 
Admittedly intellect applies an analytical knife, but this knife is the one 
that splits everything along the S/O "fault" (as it says in ZAMM).    
Or, maybe not just SOM's mind but its "spiritual" plane- Andre misliked 
the SOL so much because he believed the S/O-intellect prevented this 
elevated faculty.  

Bodvar