No comments about Nietzsche As Postmodernist, Essays Pro and Contra (Suny Series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy).

No comments about Documents Concerning the Life and Character of Emanuel Swedenborg Volume Two Part One.

3 comments about Spinoza in 90 Minutes (Philosophers in 90 Minutes).

1. I picked up "Aquinas in 90 Minutes" in our Maui condo laundry room. It was so interesting that I now have St. Thomas Aquinas " Shorter Summa". I then had to have the same " 90 Minute" book for other "favorite philosophers".



2. This is a very good short account of the life and work of the philosopher who according to Will Durant was the exception among the great philosophers in that ' he lived in accord with what he wrote'. Strathern tells the story of Spinoza's lonely struggle to be true to his vision of God and Nature. Strathern writes of the famous excommunication from the Portugese Jewish community, the humble life of the lens-grinder, the loyal friend ready to take on mobs to protest against the assassination of the politician DeWitt, the supreme rationalist seeing all ' with the eyes of Eternity.' Spinoza who maintained his meditation was the meditation of a free man and so' a meditation on life and not on death' had a pure vision of God as Nature as All-in- All. His appeal to Goethe and English Romanticism came in part from this. His God is All, and yet sublime and impersonal if not like Joyce's paring his fingernails, then certainly not like the Old Testament Hebrew God intervening to prevent Abraham from taking the life of his only beloved son. In other words the God of Spinoza is a God very much of the philosophers, and not one which Pascal a figure of comparable intellectual intensity and aesthetic greatness would have abided.
   Strathern shows a clear admiration for his subject, and a respect for the subject- matter of his thought. He takes a few jabs, here and there at the great man but not in such a way as to diminish the feeling that we are dealing here one of Mankind's great thinkers.



3. I. Spinoza is a strange and interesting philosopher. His life sticks out in the history of philosophy. He not only philosophized, but he lived his philosophy. Q.E.D.

   II. After an assassination attempt, Spinoza managed to get excommunicated from the Amsterdam synagogue in 1656. Q.E.D.

   III. Spinoza turned down prestigious university posts and instead made his living grinding glass lenses. At the same time he composed a classic metaphysical system that he also applied to a political system. Q.E.D.

   IV. Spinoza was one of the first philosophers to claim that the aim of the state is individual freedom. Q.E.D.

   V. Though Spinoza's metaphysics belong to a different time, it is an example of how a theory of existence can be applied to a manner of living and being. Q.E.D.

   VI. This book provides a good but very short introduction to the life and philosophy of one of the most interesting philosophers in the history books. Q.E.D.

   VII. Spinoza managed to live a very humble life and still attain fame and recognition in his own time. He corresponded with Huygens, Newton, Leibniz, and other eminent people of the 17th century. Q.E.D.

   VIII. Spinoza's works were so controversial they were either not published during his lifetime or published anonymously shortly after his death. Q.E.D.

   IX. Spinoza's metaphysical system was based on pantheism, which posited that everything and everyone is God, so that if you hurt another you hurt yourself. There are corollaries to the modern Gaia hypothesis in this. Q.E.D.

   X. This book will leave you wanting to know more about Spinoza and why he wrote in a strange numbered aphoristic manner. It can be read in a single reading and will acquaint you with Spinoza and why he is considered important. Q.E.D.

   XI. Read this book, then move onto more thorough studies if it catches your interest. Q.E.D.

No comments about Documents Concerning the Life and Character of Emanuel Swedenborg Volume Two, Part Two.

No comments about Descartes and the Last Scholastics.

No comments about Documents Concerning the Life and Character of Emanuel Swedenborg Part One.

No comments about Lamentations of Youth: The Diaries of Gershom Scholem, 1913-1919.

5 comments about Heidegger in 90 Minutes: Library Edition (Philosophers in 90 Minutes) (Philosophers in 90 Minutes).

1. Each work in this author's trilogy (`Blowback' 2000, `'The Sorrows of Empire' 2004, and `Nemesis' 2006) raises questions about the wisdom of post WWII American policy, with abundant examples that include counterproductive military base leases (leading to routine local outrages) to the not-so-public black operations that very often misfire and result in the opposite effect of the original intentions.
   
   Each of these books is well written and well worth reading. The subject is vital to anyone concerned with our status, and (more importantly) with the ideals that founded, sustained, and made the United States a great nation.
   
   Highly recommended -you decide.



2. Thorough, chilling and compelling read. I want to read other titles by the author now.



3. Nemesis (2006) is the final book in Johnson's trilogy, following Blowback in 2000, and The Sorrows of Empire in 2004. It is a warning call to Americans in our interdependent world that our foreign policy actions have consequences, and that we cannot continue to guide our destiny through aggressive use of military power. Nemesis is well researched with scores of citations. It poses alarming questions, such as: 1) is our political system capable of saving the US in the face of the DOD and unaccountable government spending? and 2) What are the effects of having the US maintain so many bases in foreign lands? and 3) Is "military Keynesianism" a sustainable policy?
   
   Johnson draws some historical lessons from the empires of Rome, which tried to maintain a far flung empire but eventually lost its government, and Britain, which gave up its distributed empire for the benefit of more robustly sustaining England. He devotes a chapter examining the CIA as an agency of foreign policy and the effects of US military bases in foreign countries. He has many surprising facts, such as there are more people of Lebanese descent in Brazil than in Lebanon, and that post WWII Japanese pacifism is a fiction.
   
   Johnson considers space the next battleground and describes the currently deployed ground-based missile defense as a `dual use' system with the potential offensive purpose of shooting down satellites. Johnson's description of the future battleground of space is quite thought provoking and alarming, whatever your attitudes about the efficacy of military preparedness and the use of force. He points out the collateral damage likely during earth orbit warfare will have detrimental consequences for everyone, as the debris clouds will affect all communication satellites. Johnson states that our government operating in shadows of secrecy is not what the Constitutional framers intended, and the public should have access to information about the activities of our government.
   
   This book is depressing in its hard-edged assessments of the future of the US, and is a signal alarm to that it may already be too late influence a more secure and sustainable nation for successive generations.



4. Chalmers Johnson is one of America's greatest heroes for writing INFORMATIVE books that display his critical thinking. We must know what is going on with our American country and we must understand that the mainstream media is part of the empire umbrella. (For example, if you saw the movie, Charlie Wilson's War, you'll be intrigued to learn of the REAL Charlie Wilson in Chalmers' book). What struck me first and foremost as I was reading this book is the insight and intelligence Chalmers has about his subject. He informs us of some incredible facts, such as: The U S spends more on its armed forces than all other nations on earth combined, and that the U S has military bases in more than 130 countries! A critical thinker must ask him/herself why this is so. These are very important facts when reading political books about our United States of America because they help us to understand what is really going on, as explained in the book, Don't Weep for Me, America: How Democracy in America Became the Prince (While We Slept) Chalmers explains the relationship between big American corporations, such as ITT and the U S Government, and how the President's private army the CIA factors in. Chalmers discusses the 9/11 Commission and says, "...the fix was in..." And then in gutsy investigative detail, he says, "The Senate Intelligence Committee, the 9/11 Commission, and the CIA's Iraq Survey Group, under Charles Duelfer, all reported that the CIA's intelligence on Iraqi WMD was largely fictitious. Even more dangerous for the White House, these reports suggested that much of this intelligence had been manufactured by neoconservative officials in the Pentagon long eager to invade Iraq." But Chalmers doesn't stop there. He gives a very brief historical context for such governmental subversion by writing, "at the apex of those who profited from British-style "free trade" at the end of the nineteenth century was the Rothschild Bank, then by far the world's largest financial institution with total assets of around forty-one million pounds sterling. It profited enormously from the wars-some seventy-two of them-during Queen Vicotria's reign and financied such exploiters of Africa as Cecil Rhodes"-see my review: Rhodes: Race for Africa. It can't be easy to inform the American public of such an evil government without crossing the line of "unacceptability". Chalmers Johnson is brilliant in his scope and his scholarship. Read him and you'll understand why Tocqueville wrote in his "Democracy in America" in 1835 that civilization has perfected despotism. And then you'll understand Chalmers subtitle: "The Last Days of the American Republic".



5. "Nemesis" is the last book in Chalmers Johnson's inadvertent trilogy.
   
   It is a critical examination of U.S. foreign policy and particularly the G.W. Bush mistakes. Mr. Johnson exposes the starkly unsuccessful record of our interventionist forays into foreign countries. The result is usually not a democracy, but a dictatorship.
   
   The concept of Command Responsibility-the doctrine that a military commander is legally liable for all abuses and atrocities by his troops whether he knows about them or not is interesting considering recent U.S. history. The author provides a history of the application of the concept and how far up the chain of command that it can go.
   
   There is a lesson on the Roman Empire and it's transformation over time form a democracy to a military dictatorship contrasted with the British Empire and how their democracy survived because of decreasing their military size and reach.
   
   The costly, clandestine, illegal ventures of Charlie Wilson are used as an example of "off the books" CIA activities. The author describes some of Clinton's experiences with the CIA and his mistrust of their intelligence information.
   
   The Council of Europe's report on illegal CIA "renditions" as an international violation of human rights was sobering. How many citizens are aware of these operations?
   
   Another subject that was enlightening is the critical view of Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA) from the host country's vantage point. The alarming rate of increase in the 90's of these agreements further validates the author's point of American imperialism/empire building.
   
   Chalmers Johnson detailed the military-industrial complex's profit at taxpayers' expense on SDI(Star Wars space defense shield) and how it all too predictably evolved into an equally wasteful space weapons plan. The ridiculous idea that the United States "is an attractive candidate for a 'space Pearl Harbor'" is further evidence of the use of the fear-mongering
   to precipitate funding for another absurd weapons program.
   
   "Nemesis" spotlights the battle for secrecy that is all too obvious with Bush II. The actions regarding the FOIA by Cheney and Rumsfeld in the Ford Admninistration are not surprising.
   "In theory, given our Constitution, we should not need a Freedom of Information Action."-page 245.
   
   The Bush "signing statements" are aptly described as illegal line-item vetoes.
   
   "Nemesis" drives home the point that all empires eventually over-extend themselves and face a harsh choice for survival. Remain a military dictatorship like Rome and pass from the world scene or sacrifice military global dominance for survival as a democracy. Right now U.S. foreign policy emphasizes global dominance rather than national defense.
   
   Chalmers Johnson is the best author on foreign policy I have read to date. I highly recommend his books.

3 comments about This Timeless Moment: A Personal View of Aldous Huxley.

1. It is almost as hard to write a review of this book as it must have been for Mrs. Huxley to write it. Above all else, for the purposes of reading this review or the text itself, please keep in mind that it is not a novel but a recollection of her husband that the public had decided they knew so well.

   If you haven't read Aldous' works, don't bother with This Timeless Moment as it would be as interesting and informative as reading a description of the flavour of a fruit you've never tried. If you have read his texts though and found yourself immersed in the worlds within the man's mind for all its brilliance and receptivity, then this book will give you insights you simply could not get anywhere else.

   Not being an author herself, This Timeless Moment is not well written by any technical or literary means, but nor is it meant to be. This is a recollection of a husband by his widowed wife; it explores their time together and apart, describes the man she knew for the latter half of his life, and examines the misconceptions of the renowned author as communicated through the media. It is as to the point, as it is a scattered writing as any memory translated to paper promises to be; where it loses in technical merit it gains in heartfelt sincerity.

   There is also as much in this text for the fans of Aldous Huxley's writing as there is for the man himself. The biggest gift included is the first and only copy of a novel he had begun before his death in which, it is explained, he had hoped to achieve a level of completeness previously unattained- a level he only came to understand as his illness took hold. There is also a great deal of reference to his last published novel, Island, as to how it related to the man himself and his experiences that he'd incorporated into the writing. Of interesting personal note are the many letters and transcripts of recorded conversations between the husband and wife, as well as letters by Aldous to his brother and son.

   Included among much of the book are references to Aldous Huxley's experiments with psychedics which the media has given such focus and emphasis. It must be said that she is not advocating the use of the drugs, nor is she defending his choice to use them- she speaks of his and her own experiences with LSD and the level of consciousness found within them. Another review I read here on Amazon referred to her as being "preachy" about this issue, but I found that it was anything but. As evident by his writing, Aldous Huxley was interested in virtually every facet of life and the exploration of consciousness was but one of them.

   Also check out www dot yourwords dot org for more about this text and others.

   If you're looking for something mind-blowing, read Aldous' own writing itself like Brave New World, The Doors of Perception, Island or any other, and ignore this for now. If you have read these though and want more insight into the man lining each page, read This Timeless Moment and get past the sensationalism of the media into the mind of the woman he had shared it with.




2. After reading Huxley's books for years, we finally get a glimpse into his later years through the eyes of his second wife, Laura Huxley. It is apparent throughout the book the extent to which Laura loved and admired Aldous. Nothing wrong with that.

   We learn the truth about his alleged "blindness", his view of psychedelics and how he handled death. Although through my readings it was apparent that Huxley was a brilliant man of letters, the biography brought to light the kindness of the man. He was, according to Ms. Huxley, willing to avail himself and his knowledge to anyone who sought it (except perhaps reporters from whom he understandably sought sanctuary).

   Even though I am sure it was unintended, we also come away with some notions about Ms. Huxley. Her devotion to Aldous, open-mindedness, and self-effacing manners shine through.

   I liked the book, but somehow felt the picture was incomplete. Certainly Huxley must have had an interior struggle between his religous beliefs and his intellect. Such a struggle is not discussed in this book. Perhaps Ms. Huxley was unaware of such a struggle or perhaps Aldous had somehow transcended it by the time he met Laura.




3. "This Timeless Moment" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomthy" http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy

No comments about Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy: Studies in His Life and Thought (Toronto Studies in Theology).