Hope and History

by Josef Pieper

The famous and popular Thomistic philosopher addresses the topic of hope from the perspective of human history and asks the "Is man's hope such that it can find any fulfillment in the field of human history?" "Is man's human history such that it can give us any grounds not to despair?" Pieper looks at the movement of history, the idea of progress, man's hope for a better future, and he counters the temptation to despair with a Christian philosophy of hope based on faith in divine providence and the compatibility of faith and reason.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology, Religion, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Josef Pieper was a German Catholic philosopher and an important figure in the resurgence of interest in the thought of Thomas Aquinas in early-to-mid 20th-century philosophy. Among his most notable works are The Four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance; Leisure, the Basis of Culture; and Guide to Thomas Aquinas (published in England as Introduction to Thomas Aquinas).

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a book that gave me much, maybe because of the angle Pieper approached the issue, which philosophers he investigated on the terms. The obvious conclusion was also a bit less substantiated than I hoped. Maybe this is better for another read, or to look into when "hope" and "history" is something one would look deeper into.

[John Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of this was over my head, but it’s an interesting examination of Hope in relation to humanism, Marxism, evolution, history, and prophecy.

[Othy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting look at the future of humanity. Though Pieper could continue and further his thesis (and also include a bit of what he's arguing against), the discussion in Hope and History was deep and considerate to the reality of humanity (at least in my opinion it was). The intricacies of hope, especially in regards to death, I believe got to the heart of the problem. I'm always impressed with Pieper, even when I disagree with him, and I think this is one of his better books. The subject is a difficult one, and at times Pieper's line of reasoning and his arguments get somewhat muddled, but in the end what he has to say is enlightening and fascinating.