Will and Non Sequitur

'Non sequitur' literally means 'does not follow', but in some contexts, e. g. in Logic, it means, more precisely, 'does not follow according to the rules'. By contrast, in other contexts, it is not necessarily a lapse, for a well-placed non sequitur can enhance an artistic or a comedic project. Furthermore, where it is taken intellectually seriously is as a Zen Koan, by which a teacher attempts to stimulate the wakefulness of a student. This provocative capacity of a non sequitur is not as extrinsic as it can seem. For, it is a pure expression of Will, the principle of Variation in Experience, and, hence, as such, it can occasion the disruption of automatic thinking patterns, and of mechanical behavior, in general. It is thus a virtue of a non sequitur that it eludes formularization.