[MD] Able to change well.

[plattholden at gmail.com]

On 31 Aug 2010 at 8:16, schoadabyool at talktalk.net wrote:



> [Platt}
> Such as "Some things are better than others."
>
> Hello Platt,
> This is very interesting. I had not thought of this as a pattern before.
> I'm not sure if this is a pithy remark so you may have to explain. I was
> hoping for a bit more depth when thinking about being able to change well.
>

I'll let Pirsig add a bit more depth: "Here Quality succeeds where Bradley´s
Absolute and Hegel´s Being and the Buddhist Nothingness and the Hindu
Oneness and the theists´ God and Allah and you-name-it; all of them fail.
For quality, no faith is required because there is no way you can disbelieve
that there is such a thing as quality. You cannot conceive of or live in a
world in which nothing is better than anything else."

As for archetypes, you'll have to ask someone more familiar with Jung than
me.

Regards,
Platt



Hello Platt,
Thank you.
I sometimes find one line posts confusing especially if i'm not sure of the 
context of the response.
But you have cleared it up. I actually thought you were in some sense 
criticising some things are better than others.
But you were not as it turns out.


I don't like Robert Pirsig's rhetoric. If you are not careful it can block your 
thinking. I find that his books are full of it.
For example, let's have a look at what your quote says?
Pirsig states that quality succeeds were a list of others fail. Indeed it does. 
But, and this is the dodgy bit, he then concludes the list
with a catch all. This may, or may not depending on your alertness, at least 
temporarily lead you to believe that quality
is unique.
But it isn't unique.
Quality is synonymous with terms that are used in philosophy to describe the 
best.
Arte, Excellence, Virtue etc. Good is a common one. These do not fail. It is 
common for a theist for example, when
pushed into describing their views, that what they want to describe is 
Excellence.


There is a connection with Jung in this regard but i shall not trouble you with 
it if you would rather not.


Thank you
Ade

Hello Ade,

I think all Pirsig means by his last sentence in the above quote is that we  
can't escape from making judgments. That may seem obvious. But it's one of 
those universal facts (like the present moment) that is often either ignored, 
accepted without question, or brushed aside as unimportant.

What's unique about PIrsig's metaphysics is his application of judgment-making  
to all worldly phenomena, judgments made in response to Dynamic Quality. Most 
such responses are now frozen in permanent static patterns, like iron filings 
now always preferring to cling to magnets. But, though we're made up of 
millions of static patterns, we humans still have the ability to respond to the 
force of  Dynamic Quality, whether we call it God, the One, the Absolute, the 
Creator, Arete, Excellence, Virtue, Higher Power, Beauty, or you-name-it --the 
force of evolutionary creation is out there, waiting for us connect and follow 
its call to perfection and freedom. .

But, I could be wrong,

Regards,
Platt