[MD] question: MOQ, Pirsigism, passionate emotion

[Michael R. Brown]

hi, dmb -

> It seems awfully generous to say Gorham had an "interesting" worldview.

Crazy people can have very interesting worldviews. Ever heard of a guy named 
Phaedrus? I'd love to have talked to *him* when he was on those edges!

> My impression is that he was a fascist crank.

Sure. Fascist cranks can have interesting worldviews. I learned a lot from a 
Communist crank: http://www.imaginenine.com .

> You know who else hated Jews, loved Wagner's Valkyries and thought 
> Northern European tribal culture was superior, eh?

Wagner.

So one should ... what? Close one's eyes? Why?

> I'm horrified at the idea that this guy is anything like Watts or Pirsig. 
> What likenesses do you see?

Read his "Bible." Picture of a non-mechanical universe, emergent levels, 
belief that we've been sold a bill of goods through word-manipulations, 
certain sense of the saving power of nature, also intellectual independence 
in the sense of a homegrown quality outside the Academy. Like Bob there's a 
slightly thorny, thickety quality - Watts had that suavity.


MRB
http://www.fuguewriter.com