Philosophy / Movements Books

In a post-9/11 polemic, Sam Harris takes an absolutist stand against religion and the link between blind faith, fundamentalism, and theocracy. Harris cites what he sees as the violence-drenched holy texts of major religions to underscore the connections between religion and terror. Criticizing both Islam and Christianity throughout, Harris would relegate religion to the same status as we now view, for example, the Roman gods. He would replace religion with reason, and he would turn to Eastern thought for a more fully developed spirituality. Addressing objections from those who favor a "moderate religion" or religion when separated from state, he says this is mere accommodation. Acknowledging that acts of charity currently done in the name of religion have a positive end, he says that in a world of reason and ethics these would still take place. Outrageous at first, Harris gradually builds a strong case for, as he says, the end of faith and the future of reason.

How does it all come together? In his efforts to answer this question, Wilber, author of SEX, ECOLOGY, SPIRITUALITY, offers up his "M Theory", in which he crosses lines of thought and discipline to create a holistic philosophy that reveals how everything fits together. A THEORY OF EVERYTHING touches to some degree on, indeed, almost everything, from economics to medicine to religion, leaving behind both a theoretical model for thought and a practical guide to enacting it.

Camus's philosophical essay, published in 1942, begins with the statement: "There is only one really serious philosophical question, and that is suicide. Deciding whether or not life is worth living is to answer the fundamental question in philosophy. All other questions follow from that." Camus compares the absurdity of existence to the labours of the mythical character Sisyphus, who was condemned through all eternity to push a boulder to the top of a hill and watch helplessly as it rolled down again. Camus takes the nonexistence of God for granted, arguing for the necessity of finding meaning in the struggle itself.

Published in 1943, "Being and Nothingness" is recognized as a central work of existentialism. This monumental study of the human condition--which many have viewed as a philosophical response to the horrors of World War II--deals with love, hate, sex, anguish, and a great many other themes. According to Sartre, "man is the being by whom Nothingness comes into the world."