On purpose

[Mark Knowles]

I read people often write about what the purpose of the Voynich manuscript was. Why did the author write it? What function did it serve?

I seems to be a singular document, so to some people there must have been a singular purpose.

It is natural to view things in very functional terms. However in our own lives all the things we do are not governed by quite so functional goals.

Lots of people do things for rather nebulous reasons. If we ask why someone is researching the Voynich then they might answer, because they enjoy it. Of course, enjoyment could be said to be some kind of functional goal, neurologically speaking.

I suppose I wonder if the author(s) wrote the manuscript in whole or in part out of enjoyment, as a puzzle, a challenge or just an entertaining pastime.

Of course there likely was more than one motive for writing it, but I don't see why we should not consider pure pleasure as a significant motivating factor.

So many of the things we do are done out of pleasure.

Why are you eating pasta for dinner? Because I like it.
Why are you going to the theatre? Because I enjoy it.
Why are you reading that detective novel? Because it entertains me.