I suppose no great books merely exemplify a genre. And just how many genres have been invented by now? To be honest, if I needed a book to get me out of bed in the morning ,I'd seriously wonder if it was worth ever getting out of bed again. The house finch singing outside my window this morning was enough for me today.
So, the author says, "Three books, each of which asks what is for me the only serious question: given that we die, and given that there is no god, how do we find purpose in existence?"
ReplyDeleteHowever, given the warrants of his argument--life lacks purpose, and there is no God--I cannot warm to the author's claim that the listed books are worthwhile expenditures of time. Perhaps the author, if he knows anything at all about argument (ethos, logos, and pathos), could better package his claim on behalf of specific books.
To finish my roundabout assault upon the author, I agree with you, Frank, that finches--among other God-made wonders--make mornings (afternoon, evenings, and nights) bearable (and even worthwhile) while books, good as they are, remain mere supplements to God's grandeur. And that reminds me: perhaps the author of the linked piece might consider some poetry from Gerard Manley Hopkins; the author might then be motivated to reconsider his "no god" warrant.
Well, his extended list of books does contain several books of either religious or spiritual nature, so it's not really an atheist's list. Augustine's "Confessions," William James, etc.
ReplyDeleteBut I basically agree with you, R.T., about his three books listed. I feel no call to read those three books, and for the same reasons you state, as well as others.
Today I saw a peregrine falcon, I believe, in the trees behind my house. A stunning moment of utter beauty. A Hopkins moment, indeed.