Designer’s Guide Continued from page 16


moral value. The bird that develops flight is a biological advancement over the inorganic pattern of gravity, and there is elevated morality in bio- logical patterns above their subordi- nate inorganic patterns. Similarly, the development of intellectual patterns, such as civil rights, is a moral devel- opment, because intellectual patterns have higher moral value than the societal patterns that preceded them. Thus Pirsig’s Metaphysics of Quality accounts for not only biological evo- lution but also for the evolution of society and intellect as well. Surely by now you are thinking,


What does this all have to do with plumbing engineering? Well, not much from a practical standpoint but


It seems that every engineering firm has an array of classical


and romantic personalities. I believe that both are essential for any office to function properly.


a great deal from a philosophical one. Plumbing engineering is an example of Pirsig’s Metaphysics of Quality. Plumbing engineering falls into what would be defined as an intellectual pattern that overcame the social pat- tern of dumping sewage in the street. This in turn overcame the biological pattern of human waste and the inor- ganic deaths that resulted from its mishandling. So in the realm of the Metaphysics of Quality, plumbing engineering holds the highest order of moral development as an intellec- tual pattern that has transcended soci- ety, biology and the inorganics that preceded it. n


Timothy Allinson is a senior pro-


fessional engineer with Murray Co. Mechanical Contractors, Long Beach, Calif. He holds a BSME from Tufts


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University. He is a professional engi- neer licensed in both mechanical and fire protection engineering in various states, and is a LEED accredited pro- fessional. Allinson is a past president of ASPE, both the New York and Orange County Chapters. Contact him at laguna_tim@yahoo.com.


The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not reflect those of Plumbing Engineer nor its publisher, TMB Publishing.


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