[MD] Taking Words Seriously

[X Acto]

Questioner:  This idea of reason and rationality as a cage in itself; in what sense can it be a cage?



RMP:  The cage itself is a definition.  The definition is a cage.  --- Latin phrase --- It's an old Aristotelian construction.  You set limits on what a word is.  You set limits on what your experience is.  And those limits which you set, in order that you can manipulate these words correctly, are also a cage for that word; they can't go beyond it one way or another.  One of the reasons we don't define Quality is because if we do we cage it and if you don't define it then all of a sudden the Quality spreads out all over the Universe, sort of speak.  

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Ron:
I believe it was Limit, ultimately, was what gave meaning to experience. What Pirsig seems to be saying
is that Quality is the most basic genera of meaning and limit. IT IS meaning and limit. But once we enter
into the plural of explanation it can not be defined.

Aristotle based limits on consequences in experience, on practicle meaning, on value and quality ,on the good.
It is what we mean by "correct". 

The cage is confusing the opinion of correct with the practicle meaning of the term.

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