Andrew_Russell/FS/KSG@ksg.harvard.edu
Fri, 27 Mar 1998 02:54:05 +0100
Hi Gang -
Maggie wrote -
______________
But Pirsig hasn't just changed philosophy. There are a lot of more
down-to-earth effects as well, don't you think?
________________
I work in the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. I have had
the chance to quiz some of the post-docs and research fellows, physicists,
engineers, and faculty who I am in contact with about ZMM. Apparently ZMM
was a standard in scinece and engineering classes in the late 70's and to
an extent in the 80s. As we know it has very valuable insights on the
meaning of work, of using your full mind and energy in work, as opposed to
going about it in a detached manner. Although these insights are by no
means new (Zen lit. and Marxist humanism, among many others directly
discuss these issues), the implications of this are now sort of rippling
through the private sector. The policies of the highly successful
"progressive" companies here in America like Microsoft and Saturn are based
on the recognition that it is not just the product of a worker's labor that
affects the interests of the company; the company is now concerned with the
worker's family, insurance, comfort in the workplace, voice in the
decisions of production.
I'm not saying that capitalism has been reformed because of Pirsig writing
2 books. It is a painfully slow process. This process is helped by a
change in mindset, shifts away from selfishness, maximizing profits, and to
hell with the workers. I can tell you from first hand experience that
Pirsig has helped to educate and shape the minds of those who are now doing
vital research and making policy.
Perhaps now the Squad may understand why I was beginning to discuss Marx
and his relevance to the MoQ.
Andy
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