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Title details for Intellectuals by Paul Johnson - Available

Intellectuals

by Paul Johnson
Frederick Davidson
Audiobook
12 of 13 copies available
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12 of 13 copies available

Since the time of Voltaire and Rousseau, the secular intellectual has increasingly filled the vacuum left by the decline of the cleric and assumed the functions of moral mentor and critic of mankind. This fascinating portrait of the minds that have shaped the modern world examines the moral credentials of those whose thoughts have influenced humanity.

How do intellectuals set about reaching their conclusions? How carefully do they examine the evidence? How great is their respect for truth? And how do they apply their public principles to their private lives? In an intriguing series of case studies and incisive portraits, these people are revealed as intellectuals both brilliant and contradictory, magnetic and dangerous.

Included are:1. Jean-Jacques Rousseau: An Interesting Madman2. Shelley, or The Heartlessness of Ideas3. Karl Marx: Howling Gigantic Curses4. Henrik Ibsen: On the Contrary!5. Tolstoy: God's Elder Brother6. The Deep Waters of Ernest Hemingway7. Bertolt Brecht: Heart of Ice8. Bertrand Russell: A Case of Logical Fiddlesticks9. Jean-Paul Sarte: A Little Bar of Fur and Ink10. Edmund Wilson: A Brand from the Burning11. The Troubled Conscience of Victor Gollancz12. Lies, Damned Lies, and Lillian Hellman13. The Flight of Reason

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 14, 2009

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781483068657
      • File size: 526995 KB
      • Duration: 18:17:54

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 27, 1989
      Written from a conservative standpoint, these pummeling profiles of illustrious intellectuals are caustic, skewed, thought-provoking and thoroughly engaging. The author of A History of the World skeptically weighs each pundit's moral and judgmental credentials to give advice to humanity. He plays up the personal shortcomings of Marx, a failed academic given to pseudoscientific jargon, habitual anger and dictatorial habits; Sartre, a spoiled only child, existentialist philosopher of action who did nothing of consequence for the French Resistance and never lifted a finger to save the Jews; pacifist Bertrand Russell, who repeatedly advocated ``preventative'' nuclear war against Stalinist Russia between 1945 and 1949; Hemingway, whose adolescent rejection of his parents' religion is said to have triggered his secular ethic of action and violence. This rogues' gallery includes ``notorious liar'' Lillian Hellman; self-publicists Norman Mailer and Bertolt Brecht; leftist publisher Victor Gollancz, ``a monster of self-deception''; Shelley, Rousseau, Tolstoy, Ibsen, others.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 1, 1992
      Johnson here sets his sights on Marx, Sartre, Shelley, Tolstoy, Brecht, Ibsen and others. ``Written from a conservative standpoint, these pummeling profiles of illustrious intellectuals are caustic, skewed, thought-provoking and thoroughly engaging,'' maintained PW.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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