[MD] Plato's Good

[david buchanan]

Tuukka said:Pirsig definitely says Plato says Good is a fixed idea. But is he right?

dmb replied:
Yes, according to the very first sentence of the opening paragraph of Stanford's article on Plato, Pirsig is right.  ...If we made a list of debatable assertions, this one would be at the very bottom. Pirsig is only saying what everyone already acknowledges about Plato's work and anyone who doubts it can easily look it up. It's about as reasonable and realistic as doubting the blueness of the sky. It's silly.


Tuukka said:
I did not acknowledge this. I severely disapprove of your attitude.



dmb says:
Your question and this exchange, I think, highlights a very serious problem around here. To be perfectly frank about it, the problem is that we get a whole lot of attitude from people who imagine they are going to correct or improve Pirsig's philosophy but that attitude of superiority is completely unjustified. As in this case, we have people who want to cast doubt on matters that no one disputes. The question (is Pirsig right about Plato) can only be posed by a super-genius who can correct the entire history of philosophy or by an ignorant person who doesn't know the first thing about philosophy. Which is more likely?

Of course you disapprove of my attitude. I'm saying that question can only be asked out of a profound ignorance of the basics. And since this question is being taken seriously by those who would be pretend to improve Pirsig, it's totally outrageous. It's delusional!