Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert M. Pirsig
First published in 1974, Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance went on to be described in The London Telegraph as ‘the most widely read philosophy book ever.’
What helped elevate it to a cult-like status was that it came at a time when
authority, in all forms, was being challenged everywhere; when the debate on
whether technological advancements were good or bad were being waged worldwide.
As the subtitle of the
book suggests, this book was simultaneously “an inquiry into values” – it basically
captured the essence of 20th century philosophy, thereby catapulting
it to a cult classic.
Although it is deep and complicated and
takes a lot of focus to read, it dwells upon some pertinent questions about
life and Quality (yes, with a capital Q) in particular. Interlaced with stories
from an across-the-west motorcycle trip with his son and some friends, Pirsig
tells the story of his past in an almost former life before being admitted to a
mental institution after going crazy in his pursuit of Quality. He often uses
the motorcycle as an analogy.
Being a student of philosophy and a
Professor of rhetoric, he is an authority on the subject by itself. But he goes
further to explore the ideas of rhetoric, quality, the scientific method,
technology and many ideas of the ancient Greek philosophers.
This book in fact has three narrative threads:
1)
A road-trip on a motorcycle across the United
States by a father and son
2)
A philosophical mediation
3)
A story of a man who is being pursued by the
ghost of his former self (Phaedrus)
Let me explain.
Robert M. Pirsig was a Professor of Rhetoric and Creative
Writing who was well known as an excellent analytical thinker. While teaching
the rules of good writing to his students he came to an understanding – knowing
rules of good writing, only resulted in bad writing. So, in fact he says, there
are no rules as such, but we can differentiate between good and bad writing. However,
this undermines the tenets of philosophy, if you can’t formalize Quality and
can’t define it. His attempts to deal with this deceptively simple question –
What is Quality? – leads him into a frantic search into philosophies of the
past (Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Hegel…)
Unfortunately , this
feverish attempt on his part only leads him to a complete breakdown for which
he is institutionalized and given electroshock therapy. ‘Phaedrus’ is the name the narrator gives to
that former self of his, before the electroshock therapy created a schism in
his personality.
 |
| Robert Pirsig and his son Chris on the 1968 road trip that inspired this book |
So that’s one part of the book. This flashback is slowly revealed to the
readers as he travels across the United States on his motorcycle along with his
eleven year old son, Chris. Their experiences on the road , what they see and
do are also a part of this book. In these parts we come across some real
classic lines which will instil a lifelong love for motorcycle riding.
“In a car you're always in a
compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that
car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it
is all moving by you boringly in a frame. On a cycle the frame is gone. You're
completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not
just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”
During their travel, there are many digressions on several
topics including a very important one for the author – the two attitudes
towards life. He uses the motorcycle as an analogy. According to him there are
these two viewpoints: classical and romantic. And he explains this through the
way we interact with a motorcycle.
If you are a romantic, you would be thrilled with the act of
riding a motorcycle, feeling the wind rushing past , happy to be riding a bike
, and being “in the moment.”
But, if you are a classicist this would
not be enough since you would insist on familiarizing yourself with the working
parts of the machine, developing a feel for how tight to secure the bolts etc.
Basically you not only enjoy riding the bike, but also knowing everything
possible on how to maintain the bike.
This is a major difference in attitude
that underlies our interactions with the world around us, according to Pirsig.
Slowly, we begin to see how his past inquiry into Quality dominates his current
bike trip with his son, and seemingly jeopardizes his identity again. The ghost
of his former self, Phaedrus, seems to be an ever-present shadow that challenges
his current mental stability.
However, the only way he can seem to
come to terms with all this is by explaining what he went through in his past philosophical
inquiry and that is what forms a major part of the book.
His thoughts on the educational system
and the method of grading in universities are quite revolutionary and still may
be read that way. But we can’t deny his passionate exploration into what truly
is relevant and meaningful in our lives and in improving the Quality of our
lives.
So why the title – why Zen? And why ‘Motorcycle
Maintenance’? Zen being a practical form
of Buddhism believes in a non-dualistic way of life and incorporates silence
and meditation into daily practice. Essentially, we will realize that the
author intends the motorcycle to be a symbol of the soul itself. We need to maintain a balanced peace with who
we are first and foremost. Just like a motorcycle that can give you wings to
freedom, but you must also know how to maintain it.
Roberst Pirsig’s book was rejected by
121 publishers he sent it to, except one. But like he says, “one is all you
need.” This book probably will become clearer only with some re-readings, but it
certainly has a lot of intriguing points and can be said to belong to the
category of books that can change the way you think. But then, this is just my
opinion.
[P.S. if you would like to try reading
a book on philosophy and find it
confusing where to begin, I would strongly recommend Sophie’s World by Jostein Gardner – take a pen and notebook,
lots of notes are sure to ensue! ]
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