Robert Pirsig`s Quest for Quality

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert Pirsig talks about the metaphysics of quality or the concepts of quality.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values is the first book written by Robert M. Pirsig which delves into the Metaphysics of quality. The book sold millions of copies translated into twenty-seven languages and one of the most widely read philosophy book.

The 1974 book details a 17-day motorcycle journey across the United States. This is based on the author’s actual life experience but his identity is not revealed in the book. Other main characters are his son Chris with their friends John and Sylvia Sutherland who joined them for the first nine days of the journey.

The trip dwells on numerous philosophical take on life, called chautauquas by the author. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance marries Eastern and Western beliefs by delving into topics such as epistemology, ethical emotivism and the philosophy of science.

The Concepts of Quality

In the book, Pirsig delves into the meaning and concepts of "quality", a term which he thinks is indefinable. Much of the discussions in the book is a discussion about the Metaphysics of Quality that takes a Zen-like view of the universe but not of its intellectual concepts. It touches on a number of concepts that permeate in the Eastern religions even though it is not largely about that.

Phaedrus, the narrator in the book, takes a present-tense cross-country motorcycle trip with his son Chris. Zen Buddhism preaches that in life what is important is to become one with the activity, to engage in it fully, to see and appreciate all details--be it hiking in the woods, writing an essay, or tightening the chain on a motorcycle. And this is what Pirsig is trying to say.

East vs West Views

He showed in the story that even everyday acts like the maintenance of the motorcycle could become a good way to show how one can combine the cold, rational realm of technology with the warm, imaginative realm of artistry. The East views life as a mystery to be lived. The West, sees it as a problem to be solved. The story combines both East and West views.

Eastern teachings are implied in the story. To some extent, it can be gleaned that, in one way or another, Pirsig has been influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.

This book details two types of personalities: those who are interested mostly in gestalts or the classically romantic viewpoints, such as the idea preached by Zen of focused on being "in the moment", and not on rational analysis, and the second are those who need to know details, the inner workings, mechanics or the classic viewpoints with application of rational analysis, vis-a-vis motorcycle maintenance and others.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, in a nutshell, talks about the routine and even dull exercise of motorcycle maintenance or it could be an enjoyable and satisfying pastime; depending on the inner attitude of the person, or lack of it for that matter.

A “Quality” life must perceive a world using both the rational and the romantic. This means acceptance of "irrational" sources of wisdom and understanding such as mysteries and beliefs. But not just limited to that but accepting science, reason and technology as well.

The mysteries pertain to instances of creativity and intuition that do not seem to have rational explanation. Pirsig believes that rationality and Zen-like "being in the moment" can possibly exist harmoniously together. The combination of rationality and romanticism can possibly bring a higher Quality of life leading to happiness and contentment.

In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig brings us a literary chautauqua, a novel that is meant to both entertain and edify. It scores high on both counts.