Dmx ron Yourenr Letters on the Formation of a Personal Creed—BY "sharper "Knowison. Laurie, London. 178.
This book sets out to teach a young man to think for himself, to. arrive at a personal and if possible original Philosophy of life. I does this in a Series of letters from a fatherly ant kindly philosopher toa young man who has asked for hie advice. At the end of each letter dealing with one subject, a summary of its main Ideas is given as well as a list of words that need defining before the chapter can be understood. Besides this there is also a number of questions to aid further reflection.
This is a book on what to think rather than on bow to think. The author collects the opinions of many famous people about each mental problem and asks the young man to eeide which he prefers Unfortun~ ately before the young man can un-Serstand the book at all he mus have studied courses in the history of philosophical thought, in metaphyies, theology, science, mathematics. astronomy, formal psychology, and modern psycho.therapeutics. While a food teacher endeavours to develop his theme from the simple to. the more complex, the author's chapters show little order of ideas or progress Son of thought. They are all too closely packed with ideas and overcrowded with quotations, The ques tions at times are stimulating to! thought, but now and again some of hem seem as fantastic as some the questions at the end of chapters "1006 and. All That."
For a philosopher setting out to encourage independent thought, he sometimes rather dogmatic in his statements, while his chief purpose too obviously to lead the enquirer to the same conclusions as he him. self has reached. This dogmatism is Hecessitated by the fact that the author attempts to cover so. much round that in the end he can only achieve an outline, Mlustrated numerous quotations, from a wide Series of authorities from Plate and! Aristotle to Henry Ford. To people ready' interested in theology and apologetics, however, there are some Suggestive chapters such as the one on the Eternal.
This book is undoubtedly written by a man of wide culture and mature Judgment and one who has worked hhis way to conclusions that have not only produced for him a satisfying solution tothe meaning of life but which must command the careful consideration and respect of anyone who reads the book—ne.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.