PSYCHO-PHILOSOPHICAL Triple Bill - THREE books on the soul, value and meaning. The books have been read but are in good to very good condition.
The Varieties of Religious Experience WILLIAM JAMES. 534 pages. Penguin Classics. 1985. Good/Very good.
Standing at the crossroads of psychology and religion, this catalyzing work applied the scientific method to a field abounding in abstract theory. William James believed that individual religious experiences, rather than the precepts of organized religions, were the backbone of the world's religious life. His discussions of conversion, repentance, mysticism and saintliness, and his observations on actual, personal religious experiences - all support this thesis. In his introduction, Martin E. Marty discusses how James's pluralistic view of religion led to his remarkable tolerance of extreme forms of religious behaviour, his challenging, highly original theories, and his welcome lack of pretension in all of his observations on the individual and the divine.
Modern Man in Search of a Soul C G JUNG. 282 pages. Routledge and Kegan Paul. 1970. Good. the perfect introduction to the theories and concepts of one of the most original and influential religious thinkers of the twentieth century. Lively and insightful, it covers all of his most significant themes, including man's need for a God and the mechanics of dream analysis. One of his most famous books, it perfectly captures the feelings of confusion that many sense today. Generation X might be a recent concept, but Jung spotted its forerunner over half a century ago. For anyone seeking meaning in today's world, Modern Man in Search of a Soul is a must.
Life and Meaning: A Reader edited by Oswald Hanfling. 255 pages. Blackwell. 1995. Good. This volume surveys a variety of philosophical views on what it is that makes an individual life or life in general worth living, valuable or meaningful. It contains pieces from the whole philosophical tradition, ranging from the Bible, Aristotle and Lucretius to Schopenhauer and Sartre. A number of questions are reflected upon: Can religion provide an answer to death, suffering or the lack of purpose in life? Is it correct to regard the sanctity of life (including non-human life) as a fundamental principle? Is self-realization a coherent ideal? Does it mean being true to man's original nature or to his potential as a "rational animal". Should we live according to our desires and in pursuit of happiness? Should the appeal to a nature of essence of man be rejected as bad faith? The book is aimed in particular at undergraduate and postgraduate students of philosophy.