The Courage to Think For Yourself Blurb/short text common terms similar books and articles

The Courage to Think For Yourself 

 October 4, 2012

This book was written with the purpose of proclaiming the duty of each individual to search for truth and the meaning of existence. The twentieth century produced such monsters as Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot who revealed the deadly drive of people who blindly followed these tyrants. Ignorance, passivity, and sheepish readiness to sell one’s life into the hands of self-made political “saviors” have created the sad reality of our times. Our world today is characterized by a growing cult of political power. There is an almost complete neglect of the individual person and of moral values in general. We should always remember that those who neglect reflection sentence themselves to repeat the same catastrophes and mistakes. Thinking requires determination and endurance. It is not easy. It demands courage to question the most fundamental convictions that may be accepted by others without any reflection or evaluation. Thinking requires courage because it involves a certain risk and may lead to unexpected conclusions. Above all, passion for truth is necessary for every honest seeker. The Socratic saying, “an unexamined life is not worth living,” is as true today as it ever was before. 

University Press of America

Pages: 106 • Size: 6 1/4 x 9 1/4

978-0-7618-5901-7 • Hardback • October 2012 • 

978-0-7618-5902-4 • eBook • September 2012 • 

Subjects: Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Philosophy / Mind & Body, Philosophy / Social

accepted act of knowledge activity Albert Camus answer areas Aristotle attitude awareness B.F. Skinnerbasic behavior beliefs blind called causality certitude Common Sense conscious courage to think David HumeDemocritus Descartes determined dynamic Edmund Husserl egocentric edica else’s ence evaluationevidence examine experience fact false freedom George Berkeley human existence human knowledge ideasillusion immaterial impression insight J. P. Sartre Jacques Maritain judgment kind knower leads Let us note light limitedlogical man’s materiality meaningful meaningless mental method mind mysterious never object one’s oneselfperceptions person philosophic reflection philosophical problems Plato possible prejudices presupposes principles questionradically realize reason religion responsibility scientific Scientific classification search for meaning search for truth SelfhoodSidney Hook Skepticism Socrates somehow source of knowledge statements Subject Subjective Idealism Subjective Idealist theory things thinkers Thomas Aquinas Thoughts for Reflection transcendingtree ultimate understand unexamined universe valid values vision whole worth living

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