A magisterial book.
An analysis of secularism from Canadian philosopher Taylor (Modern Social Imaginaries, 2004, etc.), winner of the 2007 Templeton Prize.
If the author had accomplished nothing more than a survey of the voluminous body of “secularization theory,” he would have done something valuable. But, although Taylor clearly articulates his disdain for the view that modernity ineluctably led to the death of God, he goes far beyond a literature review. Insofar as belief in God is a choice, he argues, the West is now a profoundly secular society, and even the most devout in America partake of secularity. How did the West change from a society in which “it was virtually impossible not to believe in God” to one in which belief is optional? What Taylor is after in asking that question is the conditions for belief: Today, one’s “construal shows up as such”—that is, 600 years ago, people wouldn’t have reflected much on or even noticed the fact that they believed in God, but now everyone’s beliefs and non-beliefs are chosen, and they are thus both noticeable and noticed. In tracing the rise of secularism, Taylor ranges through the Reformation, the development of perspective in painting and, more recently, the creation of a youth market and post–World War II America’s obsession with authenticity. Our current society is “schizophrenic,” he concludes. We live in an “ideologically fragmented” world in which both belief and non-belief are under pressure to harness their moral sources to nurture human well-being and to reject violence. In addition to its conceptual value, this study is notable for its lucidity. Taylor has translated complex philosophical theories into language that any educated reader will be able to follow, yet he has not sacrificed an iota of sophistication or nuance.
A magisterial book.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-674-02676-6
Page Count: 896
Publisher: Belknap/Harvard Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2007
Fellow philosopher Michel Foucault once opined that ``maybe one day we'll see the century as Deleuzian.'' This awkward collection of interviews, letters, and the occasional essay does its best to prove him wrong. Like many modern French intellectuals, Deleuze (Masochism, 1971, etc.) formed his ideas and ideology largely in the crucible of France's May '68 protests. But more than a quarter century later, he has yet to move on; even his most recent work has a tattered, time-capsule quality to it. His Marxist concern with modes and means of production, for example, seems hopelessly quaint. And while his emphasis on power and control might currently enjoy a fading vogue on American campuses, in Parisian intellectual circles such ideas fell from favor long ago. Deleuze is habitually difficult, and though this volume is presented by his publisher as a ``point of entry'' into his work, those not familiar with his substantial oeuvre will find it barely comprehensible here. Book- length arguments are alluded to in a sentence, vital concepts and terms go unexplained except for the occasional footnote. Deleuze himself seems to know everything and understand nothing. His style is high French academician—pompous and full of hair-splitting categorizations and incessant abstractions: ``All processes take place on the plane of immanence, and within a given multiplicity: unifications, subjectifications, rationalizations, centralizations have no special status.'' In many of his recent interviews, Deleuze has expressed worries about modern life—the decline of the academy, the ubiquity of media culture and its possibilities for social control. It never occurs to him that his own convoluted, gnomic pensÇes might be part of the problem. After all, it is so much easier to turn on a television set than to wade through outdated, obscure, and unexceptional philosophy from a B-side thinker.
Pub Date: Nov. 16, 1995
ISBN: 0-231-07580-4
Page Count: 202
Publisher: Columbia Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1995
Hamington (Women's Studies/Mount St. Mary's Coll.) surveys feminist critiques of the role of Mary in Catholicism and calls for a fundamental deconstruction of the Church's beliefs. According to Hamington and the authors he quotes, the cult of Mary in the Catholic Church is essentially a social construct, which has been manipulated by the male hierarchy down the centuries in order to oppress women. In this scenario, Mary's highly idealized status is really the projection of celibate men's fear of sexuality and their longing for an inaccessible mother figure. The exaltation of the Virgin, we are told, rules out any voice for the experiences of real women, who are sexual, passionate, and independent human beings. Hamington devotes iconoclastic chapters to the themes of Mary's perpetual virginity, her role as the all- powerful mother and mediator, and the concept of Mary as the New Eve. He draws heavily on the writings of feminist theologians Mary Daly, Rosemary Radford Ruether, and Elisabeth SchÅssler Fiorzenza, but his knowledge of the Catholic tradition, especially in the formative early centuries, is minimal and seems to be drawn from encyclopedias and poor secondary sources. The text abounds in sweeping and unverifiable assertions: e.g. that monasticism is masochistic and aspects of Marian devotion cause wife abuse. The author's desire to provide Catholics with relevant input is seriously undermined by his speaking from positions that few would recognize as Catholic, or indeed Christian: e.g. that Mary should be viewed independently of Christ and may be adored as a goddess. For Hamington, in fact, all statements of Christian belief are nothing but socially conditioned images that reflect human experience. A botched opportunity to present some potentially valuable insights.
Pub Date: Nov. 8, 1995
ISBN: 0-415-91303-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Routledge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1995
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