LINKS MOQ Conference at Liverpool University The first official conference on the Metaphysics of Quality was held in Liverpool on 7th July 2005. Conference details are hosted at MOQ.ORG and RobertPirsig.ORG 1974 Interview with Pirsig After what he describes as a lifetime of humiliation that culminated in a mental breakdown, Robert M. Pirsig now faces the prospect of learning to live with success. Dr. Anthony McWatt's Pirsig/MoQ Website A site primarily concerned with Robert Pirsig's Metaphysics of Quality. This site is run by a post-graduate at the University of Liverpool's Department of Philosophy and contains a considerable amount of material on Pirsig not available elsewhere. The Economics of Want and Greed Wim Nusselder's attempt at applying a MoQ to economics. ZMM Historical Site Information A project started by Henry Gurr, Professor of Physics Emeritus, USCA, to identify buildings and route of travel in Zen and the Art of Motor Cycle Maintenance. Talking (in some depth) about things that seem important A personal response to 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' by James Willis (Author of Friends in Low Places) Pirsig's famous book was a major influence on James Willis who wrote this essay for the Medicine through the Novel series in Medical Humanities. It was published in the December 2000 issue of Medical Humanities. More about the MOQ Meet the Chairman! An article about Richard McKeon reputed to be the real life professor upon whom Pirsig's "Chairman" in ZMM was based. Phaedrus The full text of Socrates Phaedrus on the Internet Classics Archive. A Tribute to Dean Maynard E. Pirsig Read about Robert M Pirsig's father, who was dean of University of Minnesota Law School. Pirsig Audio books Purchase LILA and ZMM on tape through this site. Stars on Vintage Japanese Motorbikes Picture of Pirsig and Chris on a Superhawk. Robert M. Pirsig's Metaphysics of Quality Essay's and book reviews based around the MOQ by Dan Glover. Defining Social Article by Maggie Hettinger that looks in detail at the social level and its relationship to the rest of the MOQ. Perception of Values An introduction to Robert M. Pirsig's Metaphysics of Quality with a comparison to the value system of Hunter Lewis By Maggie Hettinger The Quality Event Bodvar Skutvik's personal look at The Metaphysics of Quality. Skutvik discusses his own journey towards understanding Quality and in a three part treatise brings out the main themes in ZMM and LILA and adds some insightful analysis to Pirsig's work. A MUST read. Paper -- Differences in Diction This study examines Robert Pirsig's diction in ZMM comparing the style of writing in the narrative and chautauqua sections. Paper -- Thoreau and The Art of Quality Control This is a comparison/contrast paper addressing the philosophies of Robert M Pirsig and Henry David Thoreau. According to the header, it was submitted on December 15, 1995 by James Hinman for an Advanced Composition course at Tarleton State University. (see reference to Tarleton English below) In the Margins Patrick Jennings argues that Pirsig has made an about face by trying to define Quality in LILA. Robert M Pirsig I A simple page containing a picture of Pirsig and Chris on the infamous ZMM cycle and an assorted collection of links to other Pirsig-related Internet resources. Robert M Pirsig II A Pirsig site with lots of original content as well as a good collection of links to other Pirsig waypoints. Robert M Pirsig III: Tarleton English An index of miscellanious Pirsig resources compiled by Nick Lilly, an English professor at Tarleton State University, for use in his Advanced Composition course. (Lilly seems to be a strong advocate of Pirsig's work. These resources are definitely a great starting point for further investigation into many aspects of Pirsig's thought.) Reviews Review of ZMM Garland Green Investigates the Classic/Romantic Split General Pithy Quotes and Wisecracks A Selection of Quotes and Irreverent Sayings. E.g. "Newly acquired insights are at first only half understood by the one who begets them, and appear as complete nonsense to all others... Any new idea which does not appear very strange at the outset, does not have a chance of being a vital discovery." -- Niels Bohr Journal of the History of Ideas The Evolution of Ideas and Their Influence on Historical Developments The Participatory Economics Project Critical and Creative Thought on Economic Issues and Vision. Why Man needs Capitalism and why Capitalism means Freedom Capitalism is the economic and social system which accords with the imperatives of human nature. Other Philosophy Sites The Philosophers' Magazine Online Amazing site with new and classic philosophy articles, online discussions, discount bookstore and hundreds more links. Daoism Depot Huge site of Daoism (Taoism) resources including a busy online bulletin board, mailing list, prayer room, essays, jokes, links and book reviews. Margaret Wheatley & Edith Stein: Mystic Particles in an Evolutionary Wave Two women--mystic and holist--two particles in a wave of evolution that is as old as the religions of the ancient Orient, and as new as theoretical physics. The Demon's Envelope Energy. What is it? Where does it come from? How do we make use of it? How much is there? Will we run out of it? Will the universe run out of it? Essay by Maggie Hettinger Letter to Laura and Natalie Some wise words to the two most important people in the world By Maggie Hettinger Reflections Thoughts, Links and other things By Maggie Hettinger The World of Ken Wilber This is a page dedicated to Wilber by Frank Visser, who translates Wilber's work into Dutch. He actually visited Ken, and has audio clips on his site that are an interesting twist. Ken Wilber Online Ken's publisher, Shambhala, has this site for him, advertising both books and thought. Some good exclusive interviews, etc. Bjorn's Guide To Philosophy Philosphers, journals, discussions - lots of stuff on this site and links to other places too. Contemporary Philosophy, Critical Theory and Postmodern Thought Continental Philosophy General Philosophy Links Logical Fallacies The Atheism Web More Logical Fallacies More of the same and similar Conversational Cheap Shots Companion to Logical Fallacies Libertarian Socialism Anarchists and Left-Libertarians Artificial Intelligence What's Wrong With Artificial Intelligence? Based on the work of Roger Penrose. I buzz therefore I think More on artificial intelligence. AI is possible but it won't happen The Future of Artificial Intelligence. Consciousness Danah Zohar on Quantum Physics Our brains work in ways that computers can't, but our culture fails to tap into this power. Emotions Human and Machine Dignity Rosalind Picard, author of the book, ``Affective Computing'' describes how computers can be given certain emotional abilities, how emotions can be regarded as an integral and essential part of human rationality. This idea comes very close to the "coherence of romantic and classical understanding" a core idea in Robert Pirsig's philosophy. You're wrong Mr Spock Human reason only works when emotion is involved Fuzzy Logic Fuzzy Logic Fuzzy systems is an alternative to traditional notions of set membership and logic that has its origins in ancient Greek philosophy, and applications at the leading edge of Artificial Intelligence. Language The Language Instinct THIS LINK IS CURRENTLY BROKEN - BACK UP ASAP When and how did language arise in human prehistory? What is its nature? And how do we, as individuals, so readily acquire the ability to speak in infancy? The Law of Contradictory Identity Inclusive Infinity and Radical Particularity: Hartshorne, Hegel and Nishida Comparative Dialectics: Nishida Kitaro's Logic of Place and Western Dialectical Thought. By G. S. Axtell Identity and the unity of experience: A critique of Nishida's theory of self by David Putney Teleportation Beam Me Up Scotty Captain Kirk and his crew do it all the time. Now, it turns out that in the strange world of quantum physics, teleportation is not only theoretically possible, it can actually happen. Teleportation Research at IBM It won't be happening for some time yet but the work goes on. Teleportation destroys the object and recreaates it elsewhere. A Theory of Everything The Theory Formerly Known as Strings Unlike previous proposals, this has survived every blistering mathematical challenge ever hurled at it. Not surprisingly, the theory is a radical--some might say crazy--departure from the past, being based on tiny strings vibrating in 10-dimensional space-time.