In my own rules of discourse, I’ve always emphasised creativity & increasing understanding over analytically destructive critique & debate. This is to counterbalance, by dynamic integration, the imbalance promoted by the “critical thinkers” who shout most effectively in the dysmemic sense. In fact, the destructiveness of Aristotle’s analytic knife features in my very first (2001) summary of my starting position. Pirsig too rejected the philosophology of the “Church of Reason”. Cycle through all things in moderation.
I’ve joined these thoughts up before with better understanding of behaviours supported left-right brain world-views after Iain McGilchrist, and noticed, but never been able to find a copy of, his earliest (1982) work “Against Criticism”.
The Great Right Brain Debate
Iain McGilchrist interviewed by Scott Barry Kaufman
This interview published as a transcript by IAI from a podcast interview with Scott Barry Kaufman is not only a great summary of Iain’s thesis in sound-bite-sized replies, but also great agreement over the reality of left-right-brain understanding from a sceptical starting position, and the relationship to his earlier “Against Criticism” work. Worth a read.
Still amazed not to find any copies of the latter for sale, must be due a paperback or kindle release?
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Thanks for sharing that interview. I especially appreciate that it was in the form of a transcript. If it were a video, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. Anyway, this one was a useful McGilchrist refresher for me. Lately I’ve been talking a bit about aesthetics, and there were some comments in the transcript on the subject. It’s been a breath of inspiration.
Have you considered trying to find a copy of Against Criticism through the interlibrary loan program offered by public libraries? I assume this program is available in the UK, as it is in Canada.
Thanks AJ
I need to renew library memberships. The local libraries are very disjointed these days – have limited sharing arrangements only with main local libraries at county / local-authority level – was much easier when I had British Library membership. May use this title as a test case.
Reminds me I noted a handful of interesting posts from you in recent months, but just not found time to read and digest for a while. So much happening on the Robert Pirsig Association front 🙂