Leszek Kolakowski delves into some of the most intellectually vigorous questions of our time in this remarkable collection of essays garnished with his characteristic wit. Ten of the essays have never appeared before in English. "Exemplary. . . . It should be celebrated." —Arthur C. Danto, New York Times Book Review "This book . . . express[es] Kolakowski's thought on God, man, reason, history, moral truth and original sin, prompted by observation of the dramatic struggle among Christianity, the Enlightenment and modern totalitarianism. It is a wonderful collection of topics." —Thomas Nagel, Times Literary Supplement "No better antidote to bumper-sticker thinking exists than this collection of 24 'appeals for moderation in consistency,' and never has such an antidote been needed more than it is now." —Joseph Coates, Chicago Tribune "Whether learned or humorous, these essays offer gems in prose of diamond hardness, precision, and brilliance." —Thomas D'Evelyn, The Christian Science Monitor A "Notable Books of the Year 1991" selection, New York Times Book Review —a "Noted with Pleasure" selection, New York Times Book Review —a "Summer Reading 1991" selection, New York Times Book Review —a "Books of the Year" selection, The Times .
Publishers Weekly Kolakowski ( The Presence of Myth ) urges caution in embracing the modern. For example, in Marxism, presumed by many to be a scientific, modernist creed, he sees ``the same yearning after the archaic community'' that drove Nazism. These stimulating, deeply learned essays by a University of Chicago philosopher grapple with the pitfalls of both ideological and religious systems, and the capacity of the open society to destroy itself. ``Conservative,'' ``liberal'' and ``socialist'' are no longer mutually exclusive political positions, argues Kolakowski. Perceiving an innate human need for religion, he ponders: ``To reject the sacred is also to reject the idea of evil.'' Along with essays on the exile as outsider, self-deceptions of intellectuals and the Christian roots of modern humanism, there are droll spoofs of philosophy (``The General Theory of Not-Gardening'') and of historical scholarship (``Emperor Kennedy Legend''). (Dec.)

Leszek Koakowski; Stefan Czerniawski; Wolfgang Freis; Agnieszka Koakowska

Leszek Kołakowski, Stefan Czerniawski, Wolfgang Freis

Kolakowski, Leszek

Leszek Kolakowski,

University of Chicago Press, Chicago [Illinois], 1997

Paperback edition, Chicago [Illinois, 1997

United States, United States of America

Chicago, Illinois, 1990

Reprint, PT, 1997

1, 1991-03-19

June 23, 1997

1, 1997

Essays originally written between 1973 and 1986.

Leszek Kolakowski delves into some of the most intellectually vigorous questions of our time in this remarkable collection of essays garnished with his characteristic wit. Ten of the essays have never appeared before in English.
"Exemplary. . . . It should be celebrated." Arthur C. Danto, New York Times Book Review
"This book . . . express[es] Kolakowski's thought on God, man, reason, history, moral truth and original sin, prompted by observation of the dramatic struggle among Christianity, the Enlightenment and modern totalitarianism. It is a wonderful collection of topics." Thomas Nagel, Times Literary Supplement
"No better antidote to bumper-sticker thinking exists than this collection of 24 'appeals for moderation in consistency,' and never has such an antidote been needed more than it is now." Joseph Coates, Chicago Tribune
"Whether learned or humorous, these essays offer gems in prose of diamond hardness, precision, and brilliance." Thomas D'Evelyn, The Christian Science Monitor
A "Notable Books of the Year 1991" selection, New York Times Book Review a "Noted with Pleasure" selection, New York Times Book Review a "Summer Reading 1991" selection, New York Times Book Review a "Books of the Year" selection, The Times .

In this collection of essays, Leszek Kolakowski delves into some of the most intellectually vigorous questions of our time.

If we are to believe Hegel-or Collingwood-no age, no civilization, is capable of conceptually identifying itself.

2021-02-08