Rising in Words is a book replete with new ideas to reform the old—to reorient, to challenge, to provoke thought, to persuade, and to educate. Here is philosophy that matters. Original thought, incisive social commentary, methodical analysis, and creative inspiration come alive in nine high-impact works, covering topics from the meaning of Progress to the impact of history, from the decline of intellectualism to the future of humanity.
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By evinumen
Oct 15, 2009
"A Brilliant New Book!" Rising in Words is without a doubt a demanding read, as the average reader will note. However, the reward is great, as this is the kind of book that could spur a great momentum of personal growth and change. Rising in Words collects a number of philosophical essays by Colin Patrick Barth, including The Fall of the Culture of Mind and The Foundation and Principles of Prometheanism. One of the book's most notable essays, Rising In Walls, is an ambitious work that tackles the grand question of why humanity hasn't progressed more and remains severely troubled by age-old problems: "Why has the sum of human comprehension and willpower directed at our problems not proven sufficient, or at least more productive? In particular, why have previous attempts consternated so many by frequently proving counterproductive? Why have humans failed to convert their resources -the will to act, the knowledge to act- into the Progress they have desired, even into... More > basic advantages, to the extent that they have not succeeded?" Barth asks. The answer is brilliant yet simple at the same time, and the author arrives at it after a thorough exploration of the history of Progress. Other essays, like The Foundation and Principles of Prometheanism, directly introduce Barth's original political philosophy to the reader. Whereas, The Renewing Dissident's Notebook and The Crisis of Unity: One World Politicized or Promethean serve to exemplify and support the points made in the Foundation and Principles of Prometheanism. The reader gets further acquainted with the Promethean world of ideas through essays like On Conformity, An Easter Parable, and Post Mortem. Throughout this collection of essays, Barth uses language masterfully to exemplify his ideas, which are supported by extensive research in a varied array of works. By the same token however, the language used is far from inapproachable despite the complexity of the ideas argued. If you find yourself questioning the present political ideologies, yearning for different solutions, hoping for change, if you are eager to improve yourself and your environment, if you crave intellectual challenges, you won't be left unsatisfied from Rising in Words< Less
