Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

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Title Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
Author Robert M. Pirsig
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Philosophical novel
Publisher William Morrow & Company
Released April 1974
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 418 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN ISBN 0-688-00230-7 (first edition, hardback)
Followed by Lila: An Inquiry into Morals

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values is the first of Robert M. Pirsig's texts in which he explores a Metaphysics of quality. The 1974 book describes a journey across the United States, punctuated by numerous philosophical discussions (many of them on epistemology and the philosophy of science) which the author refers to as chautauquas.

In the "Introduction to the Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition," Pirsig states the following: "I suppose every writer dreams of the kind of success Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance has had in the past twenty-five years--rave reviews, millions of copies sold in twenty-three languages, a description in the press as 'the most widely read philosophy book, ever.' " [1]

In this book, Pirsig explores the meaning of the concept "quality" (a term which he capitalizes). In the sequel (Lila: An Inquiry into Morals), Pirsig expands his exploration of Quality into a complete metaphysic which he calls The Metaphysics of Quality. The Metaphysics of Quality is a philosophy, a theory about reality; it asks questions such as what is real, what is good and what is moral. As the title suggests, much of the Metaphysics of Quality has to do with a non-intellectualizing, non-conceptualizing, Zen-like direct viewing of the universe. Yet Pirsig departs from Eastern thinking by arguing that reason and logic are just as important in seeking understanding. He explains that, despite its title, "it should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice. It's not very factual on motorcycles, either."

While Pirsig is not the first philosopher to try to bridge the gap between science and mysticism, with the Metaphysics of Quality he elevates the whole debate to a new level by structuring both paradigms around a single concept: value. In doing so, Pirsig throws new light on issues such as mind and matter, the behavior of particles at the quantum level and the nature of consciousness. At the social level he has much to say about racial tension, the cult of celebrity and mental illness.

Recalling his University days, narrator Phaedrus, named after the character from the Plato dialogue of the same name, sharply criticizes his instructors for miseducating the students.

Contents

[edit] Major themes

Many of the themes of the book were anticipated in Nevil Shute's 1951 novel Round the Bend.

This book also is based on two riders who represent two different types of personalities, those who are interested mostly in the gestalt (Zen) of something (romantic), the other who needs to know the details, the inner workings, the mechanics (motorcycle maintenance) of everything (classic).

[edit] Trivia

  • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was mentioned on the show Will and Grace, it was what Grace gave her then boyfriend Nathan as a birthday present because he enjoyed both mechanics and zen.
  • Pirsig admits that while writing the book he was mistaken about the exact meaning (or etymological root) of the word Phaedrus.
  • Pirsig described this novel as "a sort of Chatauqua", referring loosely to the American educational summer camp movement of the late 19th century and the early 20th century. He makes this reference because in the work he explores a complex philosophical subject - the nature of "quality", of the values we hold - using a quintessentially "American Plain" prose style which delivers a sense of great simplicity and resonance to his discourse. Just as a Circuit Chatauqua (or Tent Chautauqua) would travel, first to one town, then to another, where lecturers would expound their topics again and again in terms that general audiences might grasp, Pirsig explores his subject in what first appears a simple and itinerant fashion, apparently wandering easily in, out and around his everyday concerns about his son, their trip together across America, and good motorcycle maintenance. Yet all the while his arguments, imperceptibly, build into a moving examination of his own human values and flaws as well as a dazzling philosophical essay. In employing this metaphor, Pirsig honours four essential elements of the 'real' Chatauqua: its American-ness (the work recalls the prose of American stylists like Mark Twain, Harper Lee and Abraham Lincoln); its discursive form; its pedagogical intent; and its populist slant.
  • According to the Guinness Book of Records Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is the bestselling novel rejected by the greatest number of potential publishers (121). However, Pirsig himself admitted later that he had sent the manuscript almost simultaneously to 122 publishers from which 22 had responded to the initial query while the rest rejected it.
  • In Section 11 of the "Guidebook to Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Di Santo & Steele, it is correctly noted that the famous paraphrase “You never gain something but that you lose something” found in Chapter 29 of "Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" is not derived from Thoreau (as attributed by Pirsig and most others) but is actually derived from Ralph Waldo Emerson and his phrase “For anything you gain, you lose something”. The phrase can be found in his 1841 essay “Compensation”.
  • Though there is no mention in the book of the motorcycle ridden by Pirsig and his son, he acknowledged it is a 1964 Honda Superhawk CB77 in an interview. John rode a BMW R60 [2]
  • Pirsig's son Chris (who was featured prominently in "Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance") was stabbed to death by two men in an apparent robbery on Saturday, November 17, 1979, in San Francisco. His murder occurred just 2 weeks prior to what would have been his 23rd birthday. According to Pirsig, he had sent a letter to his father just before that, saying 'I never thought I'd ever live to see my 23rd birthday'.
  • This novel introduces the term "gumption trap", which is any occurance that can deplete the general spirit of a persons endeavours, such as boredom, frustration, etc.
  • This book appears in Fallout Tactics as a useable item to increase a character's Driving skill.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Pirsig, Robert M. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values. New York: Perennial Classics, 1999.
  2. ^ "What did Robert Pirsig Ride?"

[edit] External links

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