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, and it comes up with some surprising conclusions about our lives and existence.

The Metaphysics of Quality is explained in Robert M Pirsig's two books:
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
and
LILA: An Inquiry into Morals .

As the title of Pirsig's first book, suggests, much of the MOQ has to do with a non-intellectual Zen-like view of the universe.

Yet Pirsig departs from Eastern thinking by arguing that reason and logic are just as important in seeking understanding.

Pirsig is not the first philosopher to try and bridge the gap between science and mysticism, however with the MOQ he elevates the whole debate to a new level by structuring both paradigms round a single concept -- value. 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 there is much to say about racial tension, celebrity cults and mental illness.

There are several essays on the MOQ on this website, but really there is no substitute for reading LILA if you want to understand it. LILA is widely available throughout the world and can be purchased online for a few dollars.


LILA'S CHILD
By Dan Glover

Regarded by many as the third book of a "Quality Trilogy", Dan Glover's Lila's Child  chronicles an Internet discussion group 'Lilasquad', the original MOQ mailing list started by Diana McPartlin back in 1997 and centred around Robert M. Pirsig's second novel.
Robert Pirsig provides an Introduction and over a hundred annotations which can be found nowhere else.

GUIDEBOOK TO ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE
By Ronald L. DiSanto and Thomas J. Steel

When Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance was first published in 1974, it caused a literary sensation. An entire generation was profoundly affected bt the story of the narrator and his son, Chris, and their month long motorcycle odyssey from Minnesota to California.
A combination of philosophical speculation and psychological tension, the book is a complex story of relationships, values, madness and, eventually, enlightenment.
Ronald DiSanto and Thomas Steele have spent years investigating the background and underlying symbolism of Robert Pirsig's work. Together, and with the approval of Robert Pirsig, they have written a fascinating reference/companion to the original.
Guidebook to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance   serves as a metaphorical backpack of supplies's for the reader's journey through the original work. With the background material, insights and perspectives the authors provide this is required reading for newcomers to the book as well as those who have returned to it over the years