[MD] 42

[ARLO JAMES BENSINGER JR]

[DMB]
I mean, we can't effectively transform our world without first being integrated into it. In Pirsig's language, the cart of civilization can only be "pulled forward" by free people. It's sounds even better, I think, to say they creatively participate in the transformation of their world but the meaning is essentially the same. 

[Arlo]
I think so too. And we aren't the only ones. In his article "A Pedagogy for Teachers and Other Educational Decision Makers" (Journal of Educational Administration, October, 1980), Graham Patterson writes "The link between peasant villagers in Latin America [as described by Freire in Cultural Action for Freedom] and students who are disadvantaged by our educational system is to be found in the decision making process itself. In order to illustrate that link it is necessary to consider current educational practice and an alternative model that I as a teacher am currently using. The model has a close parallel in Pirsig's analysis of the inconsistencies in Western behaviour, as expressed so completely in his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." 

Its an interesting article, linking Freire and Pirsig throughout, I'd recommend giving it a read (remember it was written way back in 1980 :-)).

[DMB]
Education has become a political football for the purposes religious indoctrination, free-market reforms, union busting and the overall conservative view that children should be molded, not educated. I mean, it's not that complicated. The progressive agenda says education is about teaching people HOW to think and the conservative agenda says education teaching us WHAT to think.

[Arlo]
Right. I think there is momentum for a Pirsig/Dewey/Freire/Vygostky (not to imply they all say the same thing) re-examination of education, but its happening at the same time capital interests are having a 'similar' push to reform education to meet modern labor practices. For example, capitalists are saying that the modern economy needs "creative thinkers" but in this view "creativity" is subservient or beholden to economic interests, and this is markedly different than the "creative thinkers" described by Freire and the "free people" mentioned by Pirsig. I say this because we (those interested in this dialogue) need to be careful about the language similarities being used, and need to be aware when reform is part of labor readjustment and when reform is about critical inquiry and overcoming oppression. 

[DMB]
In a Democracy, ignorance and stupidity are national security issues.

[Arlo]
I want this as a bumper sticker.

[DMB]
And I can't help but think of Pirsig's descriptions of the clash between social and intellectual values.

[Arlo]
Right. And this is exactly why Pirsig's expansion of rationality is so important, as we are drifting, in the wake of the de-objectivism of intellect, backwards towards social authority over intellect (even when not full blown Victorian morality).