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About this quote

What does it mean?
Good functions as a noun, a thing in itself, rather than just an adjective describing something.
In plain terms
Good is a thing, not just a description.
What can you take from it?
Treat good as an entity to be identified, not merely a label.

Where it applies

  • moral philosophy
  • linguistics

Putting it to work

  • define clear criteria for good
  • use it as a reference point

Questions to consider

  • What does it mean to call something 'good' as a noun?
  • Does this view help or hinder moral discussion?

Another view

Seeing good as a noun can oversimplify complex moral landscapes.

More from Robert M. Pirsig

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  3. Between the subject and the object lies the value. This Value is more immediate, more directly sensed than any 'self' or any 'object' to which it may be later …

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