Ontology vs. Epistemology: The Philosophical Dynamic Driving Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire

O n t o lo g y vs. E p is te m o lo g y : T h e P h ilo s o p h ic a l D y n a m ic D riv in g E d w a r d A b b e y ’s D e s e r t S o l it a ir e R u s s e l l B u r r o w s D e se rt So lit aire (1 9 6 8 ), E d w a r d A b b e y ’s m o st im p o r t a n t p ie c e o f e x p o sit io n , h a s u su ally b e e n a p p r o a c h e d fr o m p e r sp e c t iv e s t h a t ar e e it h e r r h e t o r ic a l/lit e r a r y o r m o r e sp e c ific a lly e c o lo g ic a l. B u t A b b e y ’s r e m a r k a b le b o o k is se ld o m st u d ie d in w h a t w o u ld se e m a n a t u r a l c o n ­ t e x t : p h ilo so p h y . T h e t e n d e n c y h a s b e e n t o sk ip A b b e y ’s c o n sid e r a b le b a c k g r o u n d in p h ilo so p h y a s a n in c id e n t a l t o h is c a r e e r a s a n a t u r e e ssa y ist a n d a n e c o n o v e list .1 O n e o f A b b e y ’s fa m o u s p e r so n a lit y q u ir k s w as h is a m b iv a le n c e fo r a c a d e m ic s, a n d y e t h e h a d b e e n e n o u g h o f a p h ilo so p h y /E n g lish m a jo r a t t h e U n iv e r sit y o f N e w M e x ic o t o h a v e w o n a F u lb r ig h t sc h o la r sh ip t o E d in b u r g h , Sc o t la n d , a n d , o n r e t u r n in g t o A lb u q u e r q u e , t o h a v e c o m p le t e d A n arc h ism an d the M o ralit y o f V io le n ce (1 9 5 6 ) fo r t h e m a st e r ’s r e q u ir e m e n t ( M c C a n n 7 ). T h e p r e m ise o f m y e ssay is t h a t A b b e y m a d e e x c e lle n t u se o f h is fo r m a l t r a in in g a n d t h a t h e w r o t e D e se rt So lit aire b y st e e r in g o...