“There's just one thought that can distract biker dude Dr John Dale from the sheer joy of steering his Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 along BC's lonesome highways: 'If Wittgenstein were in my sidecar, what would he be thinking right now?'
The contemplative physician picked the Selkirk Loop, that goes from Kootenay Bay in BC down through Washington State and Idaho, as his philosophical stomping grounds. The resulting book, Notes from a Sidecar, follows in the path of fellow physician Che Guevera's Motorcycle Diaries, asking "Can we rediscover the soul through both philosophy and motorcycling?"
The subtitle of the travelogue is "A Philosphical Exploration of Vagueness." At first glance, a book about vagueness might look like a licence to digress, but Dr Dale insists his unspecific subject matter is really quite profound. "If we don't explore vagueness then we come to conclusions too quickly and become certain of things too quickly, and that is what obstructs the development of our inner soul," the 63-year-old Dr Dale says in his Irish brogue. "We need more time to contemplate and appreciate truth in life. We look for answers too quickly instead of exploring the notion of vagueness and uncertainty."
To read more from our profile of Dr Dale, please visit: http://www.nationalreviewofmedicine.com/issue/2006/06_30/3_physician_life01_12.html”
