From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to The Motorcycle Diaries, to be a biker is to be on the road to the meaning of life.
From ethics to existentialism, motorcycling raises some of life's biggest questions. What should our attitude be towards danger and death? Does riding shed any light on the nature of realty? Do we have any obligations towards the environment, humans and other animals? And can motorcycles be as much a work of art as a Michelangelo painting?
From contemplation to rebellion, thrill-seeking to a Sunday drive, philosopher and motorcyclist Craig Bourne answers all these questions and more in this stimulating road trip through philosophy.
Editorial Reviews
"A thought-provoking examination of philosophical issues relevant to motorcycling, from aesthetics to justice and, ultimately, the nature of death and existence." -Suzanne Ferriss, editor International Journal of Motorcycle Studies and co-author of Motorbike
"As sufferer of motorbike revvings, splutterings and fumes outside my Soho window, I was ready to take an instant dislike to this book. How wrong prejudices can be! Craig Bourne bikes us gently through problems of death, dreams, spanners in the works - and much more." -Peter Cave
"When you are driving at 140 km/h along the road, with the elements in your face, you don't normally think of biking as a particularly philosophical activity. But Craig Bourne has managed to extract a remarkable number of philosophical issues from it - from the meaning of life (and death) to the nature of aesthetic judgments, with many points in between." -Graham Priest, St Andrews University
As sufferer of motorbike revvings, splutterings and fumes outside my Soho window, I was ready to take an instant dislike to this book. How wrong prejudices can be! Craig Bourne bikes us gently through problems of death, dreams, spanners in the works - and much more. -- Peter Cave
About the Author
Craig Bourne is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. He rides a Ducati.
