Inherent Vice: Adherent Meaning

[alice wellintown]

>
> Why I ask is, is that Thomas Pynchon named his latest book Inherent
> Vice. But how you take that term would seem to alter your
> interpretation of the novel. If we say Bigfoot is the LAPD's inherent
> vice, or Manson is the hippie movement's, or pot is Doc's, or
> whatever... well, I'm still just trying to get a hold of the
> 'inherent' part. Would Doc be a better or worse detective if he wasn't
> high? A better or worse person? Etc etc etc please discuss.

Interesting questions. Do you hire doctor House to diagnose your
health issues even though he pops pain killers like tic tacks? Is he a
better doctor because he takes the pain killers? Would he be better if
he didn't take them. If he quit the drugs would he be almost as great
and live a lot longer and perhaps save more lives?  Or would he die
sooner, perhaps take his own life?

My husband was a wall street wiz kid; he made credit default swaps and
stochastic models. Believe it or not, he has a degree in philosophy.
Gonna buy him that comic with Russell when it comes out. But me, a
teacher of poetry who, although I try, can not even write an argument
or quote a text, well, all I know is that it's a term people who
manage risk, tangible and intangible, use a lot. I like the eggs
example, but there must also be some value that is inherent as well,
it's egginess as you said, makes the risk worth taking or not taking.
Never keep all your eggs in one vice.