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Doug's response to Garn Lebaron's request that we review
his Pirsigean-ethics paper, The Ethics of Euthanasia:
Subject: | Euthanasia. |
Date: | Thu, 29 Jul 1999 09:14:52 -0500 |
From: | Doug Renselle <NOFLAMEqtx{at}earthlink{dot}netNOSPAM> |
Organization: | The Quantonics Society & Quantonics, Inc. |
To: | Garn LeBaron <flameproof@htcomp.net> |
Acronyms used in this post:
DQ - Dynamic Quality
ESQ - Exclusive Static Quality
MoQ - Metaphysics of Quality
SPoV(s) - Static Pattern(s) of Value
SQ - Static Quality
Garn,
Thanks for writing and sharing. We are happy you enjoy our site.
Caveats: I am a student of Pirsig's MoQ. My obsession
is to show its
correlation with quantum science and promote it as a candidate
new
philosophy for Millennium III. I am finite intellect. I have no
absolute-truth answers for you. I can share opinion. So that is
all
you get here: opinion.
Your paper is excellent! Well written, excellent scope and
coverage.
Superb grammar with high readability. I wish I could write as
well as
you.
Your paper covers both sides equally well and refers 'experts.'
Your use of Pirsig is superb! You garnered essence exceptionally well.
OK, did you read our Quantonics Q&A on ethics (March,
1999)? I am
assuming that is what prompted you to copy us on your paper. If
you did
read it, you know our position on ethics.
Pirsig tells us excellence or aretê is a local pattern.
Local patterns
aggregate to emerse global excellence. The converse is ill-conceived
static quality.
He also tells us rhetoric is Value's language and dialectic
is truth's
language. Further, rhetoric subsumes dialectic as a subspecies,
not
other way around as classicists would have it.
I think we agree on all that.
You averred his 'many truths.' Many truths implies many contexts
and
again we are back to inferring local autonomy sources excellence
which,
again, may aggregate in multiple contexts, not vice versa.
In other words a union may not invoke Value on diverse groups.
Diverse
groups may concord Value in a union, but individual autonomy still
reigns as Value's source. (Read our review
of Mae-wan Ho's, 'the
Rainbow and the Worm.')
So that is one idea (i.e., local over global as Value's source)
which
came to mind as I perused your paper.
Aside: I feel a need to clarify that parenthetical.
To me, DQ is
flux. SQ is latched Static/Stable/Stabile Patterns of Value (SPoVs)
whose agency to DQ is imperative to actualize reality. DQ is absolute
change. SQ is change agency in evolutionary plateaus of temporary
stasis. SQ occurs locally and often aggregates. Local precedes
aggregation, not vice versa. If we view this from a quantum perspective
we need to add more comments. We can do that later if needed/desired.
Another idea is what Pirsig has to say about evil. You may
recall he
tells us there is only one 'evil' in MoQ: Exclusive Static
Quality,
ESQ! I.e., SQ which refuses/denies its agency to DQ.
I tend to see, anthropocentrically, a comatose patient as ESQ.
So
purveyors of ESQ are in a MoQ sense, 'evil.' My perception of
early
behaviors of public, state, and judiciary in Quinlan's case manifest
ESQ. But unchanging law is ESQ!
Finally, my own personal perspective is 'life' as defined by
Western
anthro's. is what I call one-life-centric. Alpha, omega, that's
it.
To me, what we call birth is a transition from DQ to SQ. Death
is a
partial transition from SQ back to DQ. I call this a 'reality
loop.'
It never ends! Life is: reality
loop.
Using this idea, a comatose patient is on a major plateau in
its
agency. Imminent transition awaits. Whether to defer it is an
ethical
decision.
By contrast a vibrant human is, regardless of circumstances,
an agent or
potential agent of change (including a mass murderer!) and thus
to apply
euthanasia is again an ethical decision. Personally, in this case,
I
want local authorities to abide group concord. But, am I right?
What
about Brujo? Pirsig says priests were wrong.
You may be familiar with a few movies which depict transition
flux,
among my favorites: 'City of Angels' (Nicholas Cage &
Meg Ryan), 'Made
in Heaven' (Timothy Hutton & Kelly McGillis), 'Powder,' and
a recent one
with Robin Williams whose title I forget. It is about a professor
and
his wife who lose their teenage children in an accident and wife
commits
suicide as a result.
I think a list of prominent suicides is informative:
Hemingway, Gödel,
Turing, et al. All mentioned here of extraordinary intellect very
highly evolved.
Unsure all of this is helpful to you. However, it is to me.
I am
considering several revisions to our March Quantonic Q&A given
your
paper and my consideration of it.
Also, consider a Pirsigean ethical position on abortion and
choice. I
think you might find some similarities and a few profound differences.
Let me know your opinions re: value of this response.
Also, please
seek counsel here as you wish.
Many truths to you, Garn,
Doug.
Doug Renselle
In Quantonics
http://www.quantonics.com/
"It is not the facts but the relation of things that results
in the
universal harmony that is the sole objective reality."
Robert M. Pirsig,
on Poincaré's assessment
of classical reality, in
'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance,' p. 241, Bantam
(paperback), 28th edition, 1982.
©Quantonics, Inc., 1999-2006 Rev. 4Aug99 PDR Created 29Jul99 PDR
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