Harley-Davidson and Philosophy: Full-Throttle Aristotle

Bernard E. Rollin

Mar 2012 · Open Court

About this ebook

It’s no wonder descriptions of riding often resemble the words of Asian mystics and Jedi knights: The ride causes your senses to open completely. You experience only the present, the now. Readers who prefer revving a Harley to meditating in a Zen garden know that biking is just as contemplative as chanting in the lotus position. Here, philosopher-bikers explore this seeming dichotomy, expounding on intriguing questions such as: Why are the motorcycles the real stars of Easy Rider? What would Marx and Foucault say about Harley riders’ tight leather garb? What’s it like to live a dual life as a philosophy professor who wrenches his own 1965 Electra Glide? Would Jesus hang out in a biker bar or a coffeehouse? And more importantly, would He ride a Harley or a Honda? These witty, provocative essays give readers and riders a new appreciation of what it means to become one with the road.

About the author

Bernard E. Rollin is Distinguished Professor, Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Professor of Animal Sciences and University Bioethicist at Colorado State University.
Carolyn M. Gray holds a BA in creative writing from Columbia College and worked for Harley-Davidson Financial Services from 1998-1999.
Kerri Mommer holds a BA in linguistics from the University of Kansas and her Ph.D. in linguistics from Northwestern University.
Cynthia Pineo holds a BA in psychology and M.A. in general studies in the humanities from the University of Chicago and earned her M.A. in literature from the University of Illinois.

Foreword is being provided by R.K. Stratman, exclusive provider of official Harley-Davidson t-shirts.