Montana State University-Bozeman Library, Merrill G
Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT 59717-3320
United States
Phone (406) 994-4242
Fax (406) 994-2851
http://www.lib.montana.edu/archives/
University Archivist
spcoll@www.lib.montana.edu
Collection 2630, MtBC, us
McWatt, Anthony
Michael
Dr. Anthony M. McWatt Collection on
Robert Pirsig
1974-2004
(bulk 1993-2002)
1.3 linear feet
The Dr. Anthony M. McWatt Collection on Robert Pirsig
includes correspondence, monographs, audio cassettes, and CDs. The materials were
compiled by Dr. McWatt to provide insight into Pirsig’s philosophy.
Collection materials are in English
Biographical Note
Dr. Anthony M. McWatt is based in Liverpool, England. He received his Master of Arts
in Socio-Legal Studies in 1990 from the University of Sheffield. Dr. McWatt began to
correspond with Pirsig in 1993 after sending him a copy of his MA thesis which drew
heavily on Pirsig’s work. Pirsig returned the thesis with annotations and a letter
of encouragement. Dr. McWatt developed his research on Pirsig’s metaphysics into a
doctoral thesis titled
A Critical Analysis of Robert Pirsig’s
Metaphysics of Quality. He corresponded for over a year with Pirsig for
clarification and explanation on the aspects of his thinking. Dr. McWatt received
his Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Liverpool in 2005. He first
visited Montana State University in 2006 for the film project On the Road with Robert Pirsig.
Robert Pirsig was an instructor of English for Montana State College from September,
1959 to June, 1961. Pirsig is the author of
Zen and the Art
of Motorcycle Maintenance and Lila.
Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance is a fictional account of his motorcycle trip from Minnesota
to California with his son and coming to terms with his nervous breakdown. According
to Robert Pirsig, Dr. McWatt, comes closest to being a dharma successor of his work
on Metaphysics of Quality. Pirsig defines dharma as a duty that transcends one’s own
personal sense. The comprehensive nature of Dr. McWatt’s questioning encouraged
Pirsig to more fully articulate his arguments thereby creating a collaborative
relationship and he readily acknowledged the importance Dr. Mcwatt’s development of the
Meatphysics of Quality.
The Dr. Anthony M. McWatt Collection on Robert Pirsig includes correspondence,
monographs, audio cassettes, and CD Roms. The materials were compiled by Dr. McWatt to
provide insight into Pirsig’s philosophy. The collection has been organized into
four series. Items of interest include two signed and inscribed copies of Pirsig’s
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and a
bound copy of Dr. McWatt’s A Critical Analysis of Robert
Pirsig’s Metaphysics of Quality.
Series 1 Robert Pirsig Letters, 1993-2000
Series 2 Pirsig Correspondence, 1993-2002
Series 3 Robert Pirsig,
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance
Series 4 Dr. Anthony McWatt Research Notes, Theses, and Lecture Notes
This collection is open for research.
The Dr. Anthony M. McWatt Collection on Robert Pirsig was purchased from Sotheby’s in
London, England in January 2018.
This collection was processed 2018 February 24
Collection 2571
Robert and Genevieve DeWeese Collection on Robert Pirsig, 1970-2007
Colleges
and Universities
Elementary
and Secondary Education
Literature
Publishers and
Publishing
Sound
Recordings
Series 1
Robert Pirsig Letters
1993-2000
Series one includes 40 Robert Pirsig letters, including one by Wendy Pirsig,
to Dr. Anthony McWatt; most are signed, some are printed replies to email.
These letters discuss Pirsig’s Philosophical theories, especially the
Metaphysics of Quality (MOQ), Zen Buddhism, his books
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Lila: An Inquiry into Morals, and Dr. McWatt’s
own reading. Also discussed are Dr. McWatt’s interpretation and critique of
Pirsig’s work, advice to Dr. McWatt on dealing with academia and developing
both his thoughts and his career (1993-2000), enclosures that include a copy
of Dr. McWatt’s MA thesis which is extensively annotated by Pirsig. These
letters have been organized chronologically.
1/1
Robert Pirsig
1993
1/2
Robert Pirsig
1994
1/3
Robert Pirsig
1995
1/4
Robert Pirsig
1996
1/5
Robert Pirsig
1997
1/6
Robert Pirsig
1998
1/7-8
Robert Pirsig
1999
1/9
Robert Pirsig
2000
Series 2
Pirsig Correspondence
1993-2002
Series two contains the contents of five binders that Dr. McWatt labelled
“Pirsig Correspondence January 1993-[December 2002].” The binders contain
print-outs of email correspondence between Pirsig and Dr. McWatt (bulk
2000-2002), photocopies of Pirsig’s letters to Dr. McWatt, retained copies
of Dr. McWatt letters to Pirsig, correspondence (mainly photocopies) between
Dr. McWatt and other researchers working on Pirsig’s Philosophy, and research
papers. Correspondants include Robert Pirsig and his wife Wendy Pirsig, as
well as Bodvar Skutvik who is a Norwegian painter, artist, and writer. The
binders have been arranged numerically; correspondence within the binders
reflect the chronological arrangement of the creator.
1/10
Pirsig Binder 1, Introduction
1/11
Pirsig Binder 1
1993
1/12
Pirsig Binder 1
1994
1/13
Pirsig Binder 1
1995
1/14-15
Pirsig Binder 1
1996
1/16-18
Pirsig Binder 2
1997
1/19-20
Pirsig Binder 2
1998
1/21-23
Pirsig Binder 3
1999
1/24
Pirsig Binder 3
January-April
2000
1/25-27
Pirsig Binder 4
May-December
2000
1/28
Pirsig Binder 4
January-March
2001
1/29-30
Pirsig Binder 5
April-December
2001
1/31
Pirsig Binder 5
January-December
2002
Series 3
Robert Pirsig, Zen and
the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Series three consists publications produced by Robert Pirsig as well as
research material. Publications include
Zen and the
Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Lila: An
Inquiry into Morals. Formats in this series include, monographs,
audio cassettes, and CD Roms.
1/32
Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance, London
1974
Laid in documents
2
Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance, London
1974
2
Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance, New York
1999
2
Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance, Audio Cassette, Las Angeles,
California
1996
2
Reviews: Zen and
the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Lila: An Inquiry into Morals
2
Lila: An Inquiry
into Morals, Santa Ana, California
1992
2
Series 4
Dr. Anthony McWatt Research Notes, Theses, and
Lecture Notes
Series four comprises Dr. McWatt’s research notes, theses, lecture notes, a
draft MA thesis, and a bound coup of his doctoral thesis
A Critical Analysis of Robert Prisig’s Metaphysics of
Quality. Also included are notes for a series of lectures on
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance, photocopies and correspondence relating to Pirsig.
1/33
Dr. Anthony McWatt Research Notes and MA
Thesis
circa
1989-1990
1/34
Dr. Anthony McWatt, A Critical Annalysis of Robert Pirsig’s Metaphysics of
Quality – PhD dissertation
May 2004
1/35
University of Liverpool, Zen and the Art
of Motorcycle Maintenance, LV083-508, Correspondence
circa
December 16, 1997
1/36
University of Liverpool, Zen and the Art
of Motorcycle Maintenance, LV083-508, Lecture Notes
January-March
1998
1/37
Dr. Anthony McWatt Notes and
Correspondence
1998-1999