Lila, Robert M. Pirsig’s second philosophical novel, is an intellectually stimulating journey that expands on ideas introduced in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZMM). In this book, Pirsig gives a deep dive into his “Metaphysics of Quality”, a new framework for understanding reality that frees us from the intellectual shackles we’ve chained ourselves with.
To get the most out of the book, readers should spend some time with ZMM, as a background understanding of Quality will help grasp the lessons in his second book. For those who want to jump right into Lila without reading ZMM, it helps to keep the following in mind:
- “Quality” is an undefinable force that pulls us forward in life. Quality is something outside of definition and analysis, and as such can only be experienced.
- One of Pirsig’s loudest messages is that our dependence on logic and reason is holding us back from a greater understanding of reality.
There’s a reason Pirsig’s work is so controversial. His not-so-subtle attacks on intellectualism have made him infamous in some circles. It’s important to keep in mind that Pirsig is not trying to establish Quality as “fact”, at least in the way we understand facts. Rather, he is pointing us towards a way to break free of the chains of logic and reason that keep us from experiencing reality directly.
Most of the philosophical meat of the book lies in Pirsig’s comparisons between the “Metaphysics of Substance” which currently dominates the intellectual world we live in, and his “Metaphysics of Quality”. Through his narrative of Phaedrus, Pirsig illustrates the limitations of science and logic and shows how we can expand our understanding of reality by viewing it through the lens of Quality instead of objectivity.
Readers seeking a practical application of Pirsig’s philosophy of Quality should pay attention to Pirsig’s ideas regarding evolution. Through various examples, Pirsig expands the reader’s understanding of evolution and shows how it relates to Quality.
Through his “Metaphysics of Quality” Pirsig redefines evolution as an ongoing cycle between static and dynamic patterns, rather than some value-less biological process. While the book goes into more detail, readers can get by with an understanding that dynamic patterns create growth while static patterns stabilize that growth and protect it from rolling backwards.
According to Pirsig, Quality is experienced when equilibrium is found between these two patterns. To live high-quality lives, we need to direct our attention towards subjugating the static patterns in our lives and creating space for Dynamic growth to shine through.
As simple as this idea sounds, it’s interesting to see how applicable it is to our daily lives as well as the larger problems that plague society and the world at large.
While his “Metaphysics of Quality” may go against our current intellectual bent, readers will undoubtedly benefit from reading Robert Pirsig’s Lila with an open mind and a willingness to discover a new way to relate to the world we live in.
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