From: Mark Steven Heyman (markheyman@infoproconsulting.com)
Date: Tue Jun 29 2004 - 05:04:21 BST
Hi Arlo,
Thanks for the questions and ideas.
On 27 Jun 2004 at 11:58, Arlo J. Bensinger wrote:
(1) It seems to me in ZMM, Pirsig at the very least sympathizes with
the way post-Fordist work has removed the object of labor from the
activity of labor. The "dull, gray deathforce" Pirsig describes as
the result of the seperation of technology and Quality, becomes
relatable to Marx in instance where Pirsig talks of the Quality of
work of laborers (the mechanic and the welder who fixes his
chainguard) and how these compare to current situations where no
Quality resides in the labor (the initial mechanic Pirsig took his
bike to). The alienation Marx wrote of, and alienation of Quality
Pirsig wrote of, seem to be be analogous ways of describing the same
phenomenon. In both cases, the solution is to re-acquaint the laborer
to the activity of his or her labor. Thoughts?
msh says:
Yes, I think the analogy is well-spotted and very strong. It's
interesting to me that the mechanic, the kid so far out of touch
with his work/art that Phaedrus can't wait to get his bike away from
him, is seen early in the book. And the old man, the welder who
dances his torch and rod over the chain guard, leaving no holes and
all but invisible weld, comes to us at the very end. This sort of
defines one arc of the book, I think. The kid is at odds with his
work: it's just a job; while the old welder is one with his work,
his art, his life.
I think Marx saw the problem of alienation from work most clearly in
workers whose jobs are done by rote, for wages nearly invisible in
relation to the value they produce for others, something that every
worker senses, if not knows for a fact. Rote work, the assembly
line, the "efficient" means of mass production, where that cagey word
"efficient" has no worker connection, only one of profit maximization
for the nearly invisible few.
I suppose, if one is a Zen master, one could find Buddha in riveting
bumpers to Fords all day, as in carrying water or raking leaves,
but, in a world where most of one's waking hours are spent making a
living, rather than living, it's not so easy. It seems to me that if
one is to find serenity if not pleasure in one's work, the work must
require some creativity and even a certain amount of uncertainty as
to outcome, that is, it must be challenging. Otherwise, the result
is the alienation of worker from work, of technology from Quality,
followed by stagnation and Pirsig's "dull, gray deathforce."
Yes, I think Marx and Pirsig have a lot in common, though I think
they differ considerably in their evaluations of free enterprise.
But that's more in line with your second question, which I'll take a
crack at tomorrow.
Thanks, Arlo, for the refreshing ideas.
Best,
Mark Steven Heyman (msh)
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