[MD] The Meaning of Life

[118]

Hi dmb,
Just got to this.  First of all, what a great opportunity!
Congratulations.  I have often found that I learn much more when I
teach.  I am typically very nervous at the beginning and then relax.
I try to imagine all the questions that I will not be able to answer.
Such questions only increase in my mind, as I realize that I really do
not know very much.  Fortunately, I know a little more than my
students on a very small subject.  In this case it would be Quality as
expressed in the book.

Let me suggest that if you do not know a suitable answer on the spot,
then simply say "I am not sure, does anybody in the classroom have any
ideas?"  You will be surprised at how some students will lose their
intimidation and really get into it.  You will also be surprised at
how much you will be given to think about.  As we know, there is no
truth in philosophy.  Knowing that makes it so much easier.

A little more below.

On Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 9:25 AM, david buchanan <dmbuchanan at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Calling all MOQers:
>
> My thesis advisor is teaching an introductory philosophy this fall, the theme and title of which will be "the meaning of life". He has invited me to teach one of the classes on Pirsig's work, as a kind of guest lecturer. He asked me to select a passage or section to be included on the syllabus as a reading assignment for the students. I picked chapter 16 and 17 of ZAMM. (This is the part with the classroom scenes wherein Phaedrus is trying to get his students to realize that they know what Quality is even though it can't be defined.)
>
> To help the students see what to look for and think about when they read the assignment, the syllabus will provide a few clues and thematic questions. The clues for the ZAMM reading will go like this: "Robert Pirsig says that definitions are the foundation of reason, that we can't reason without them, and yet he refuses to define the central term in his argument. Despite the fact that you can't say exactly what it is, "Quality" is the goal of every creative person and without it life would hardly be worth living, he says. What is Pirsig saying about the relationship between creative intelligence and getting an "A" in life? What does he say about following the rules and seeing for yourself?"

[Mark]
Great idea!
>
> Why am I telling you this? Because I'm shamelessly fishing for ideas. (Maybe I should have gone fishing before picking the passage and writing the clues.) These two chapters present the MOQ's basic distinction between defined quality (static rules and principles and concepts) and undefined Quality but this is the first, concrete phase of his journey. He's not yet getting metaphysical or mystical. It's just about good writing and that's a good thing because we're talking about a basic, introductory course. On the other hand, the writing lesson is a kind of metaphor for life in general. It's about NOT being a slave to the rules. It's about NOT imitating or parroting. It's about the dull conformist with the thick-lensed glasses who learns to see for herself. It's about being soulful and sensitive and caring. It's about NOT being a square.
>
> Can you imagine how a student new to philosophy will react to these chapters without reading the rest of the book? What's a reasonable expectation in terms of their comprehension level? What sorts of questions will they ask? What questions does the passage raise for you? What's your favorite point or moment in those chapters? How would you answer the thematic questions and clues. Would you give different clues or pick a different passage, which doesn't even have to be from ZAMM by the way. I had considered the part of Lila where he says that the intellectual search for the meaning of life is really just a recent fad and is not something the intellect is equipped to do, but I thought the classroom scenes and the questioning of the whole university grading system would be something that undergrads could relate to on a personal level. You know, because it's about their present situation as students who have to write papers.

[Mark]
For me, this is the first time that Pirsig recognized that a seed had
been planted.  He was not quite sure when exactly it was planted, but
it had begun to grow.  This is kind of a turning point in the book.
My questions were, where does a new idea come from?  Is it always with
us waiting to sprout, or is it something that happens to us?  I think
it is a fine choice.

My question is, how are you going to tie it into the Meaning of Life.
My suggestion is to pose the question:  Do we create Quality
(Meaning), or is Quality (Meaning) provided us?  This may create some
enlightenment no matter what the student thinks.  You could ask them
to explain their answer, not based on the book, but on what they came
in thinking.  Perhaps they will change their minds one way or the
other.  It will certainly start a discussion on What is Quality?  We
know, from the opening quote in ZMM, what it is.
>
Best of luck!
Mark
>
>
>
>
> Moq_Discuss mailing list
> Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc.
> http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org
> Archives:
> http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/
> http://moq.org/md/archives.html
>