MD Pirsig sources

[Willem Beekhuizen]

Pirsig mentions F.S.C. Northrop as a major source in his books. I agree with Rich Pretti (some time ago) that the many works of Filmer Start Curkow Northrop are not easy to understand. Helpful though is a recent book of Fred Seddon: An Introduction to the Philosophical Works of F.S.C. Northrop (Problems in Contemporary Philosophy Volume 27, The Edwin Mellen Press ISBN 0-88946-325-5). Not mentioned by Pirsig, is the book by Kitarõ Nishida (1870-1945) "Zen no kenkyu", 1921, published in English in 1990 by Yale University Press as "An Inquiry into the Good" (ISBN 0-300-05233-2). Compare Pirsig (sub)titles "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - An Inquiry into Values" and "Lila - An Inquiry into Morals" (which ends with "Good is a noun."). I find striking resemblances in basic ideas; maybe somebody from the MOQ discuss platform did read these books and wants to react? Willem Beekhuizen