Lynch offers an insightful, timely message that may be too intellectually articulated to appeal to those it could best serve.
A philosophy professor tackles our society’s increasingly arrogant embrace of convictions that are often misguided and not reasonably supported.
In this relevant new book, Lynch (Director, Humanities Institute/Univ. of Connecticut: The Internet of Us: Knowing More and Understanding Less in the Age of Big Data, 2016, etc.) expands on the issue he addressed previously: how our reasoning skills are being undermined by the vast yet unprocessed amount of information found on the internet. He shows how the internet and social media are damaging our ability to process facts, particularly in relation to politics, instilling rigid views that often quickly escalate into an unwavering rejection of those who may have alternate views. Ultimately, we come to believe we can no longer learn from one another. As an example of how social media can stir up outrage—rather than reasonable thinking—Lynch considers Facebook’s response emoticons to news events or claims of fact and suggests a more useful commenting structure: “justified by the evidence,” “not justified by the evidence,” and “need more information.” The author readily supports his argument by referencing philosophical ideas culled from the works of Montaigne, Bertrand Russell, Hannah Arendt, and Socrates. Lynch ultimately remains objective in assessing arguments on both sides of the political landscape, asserting that the right and left can each learn from the other. His bottom-line resolution is to accept with humility what we do know. “To strive after truth and humility means that we must always be ready to consider new evidence and new experiences, and that we cannot rest content in our convictions,” he writes. “Part of being intellectually humble is treating truth, not just agreement, as a goal of inquiry.” Though the author’s argument is cogent, his academic approach, while not overly opaque, may miss a wider audience of readers—on all areas of the political spectrum—who could most benefit from his message.
Lynch offers an insightful, timely message that may be too intellectually articulated to appeal to those it could best serve.Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-63149-361-4
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Liveright/Norton
Review Posted Online: June 10, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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