[MD] Plato and Norse mythology

[Tuukka Virtaperko]

All,
citing ZAMM:

"But why? Phaedrus wondered. Why destroy /aretê/? And no sooner had he 
asked the question than an answer came to him. Plato /hadn't /tried to 
destroy /aretê/. He had /encapsulated/ it; made a permanent, fixed Idea 
of it; he had /converted/ it to a rigid, immobile Immortal Truth. He 
made /aretê /the Good, the highest form, the highest idea of all." (p. 
486 of cheapest paperback)

It seems that ancient Norse mythology knew, that what Plato tried to do 
cannot be done. In this mythology, there is a god called Baldur the 
Good. He is the embodiment of Good. But Baldur was troubled by dreams of 
his death, and he told his mother about them. His mother made every 
object in the world swear an oath, that they would not harm Baldur. She 
did not ask the mistletoe, though, because she thought it was too harmless.

Hence, the other gods develop a new hobby: they go to a field and throw 
spears and other weapons at Baldur, and take enjoyment in the 
observation that they bounce off him without making a scratch. But the 
god Loki made a magical spear of mistletoe, and gave it to Baldur's 
blind brother. When he thrust that spear into Baldur, Baldur died.

Loki, the embodiment of Dynamic Quality, is a great teacher. Perhaps 
Pirsig knows this story, because he went so far as to use the expression 
"/aretê/ the Good".

-Tuukka