[MD] The Meanings of Life

[Steven Peterson]

Hi dmb, Ron, Matt, Dan, all,

What if instead of asking one another, "what is the meaning of life?"
they instead asked, "what are the meanings of life?" Is the first
question which presupposes a single meaning in some way more
legitimate than the second? I suspect that people wouldn't find the
issue at all vexing if they asked the second question since meanings
abound. It reminds me of the scene Ron mentioned where Pirsig helps
Chris write a letter. The questions, "what do I want to say?," and,
"what do I want to say first?," get in one another's way.

I think another worthy consideration regarding ZAMM and the meaning of
life is Pirsig's list of questions typifying philosophical inquiry.
When it is said that something means something, just what exactly is
that supposed to even mean? Before people ask, "what is the meaning of
life?" they may do well to consider what they mean by "meaning" in
order to pose the question in a way that could ever possibly elicit
satisfying answers.

Best,
Steve