Philosopher's Quest

by Irwin Edman

Genres: Philosophy

Hardcover

Published March 1, 1973

Reviews

[Brandon Peele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent collection of short stories (most of them true), taking one into the life of a philosopher, as he contemplates the Divine, interacts with luminaries from other fields (business, law, medicine, journalism and even a Nazi). I loved each essay, but especially like "The Unconvinced" and "The Distracted". I recommend this as 1. an introduction to philosophy, as its simply written and brings one into the life of a professional thinker, and 2. to people more familiar with philosophy, as it shows philosophy's interaction within and between other fields. Very cool.

[Vegetarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in college. One of my roommates strongly (a psychology major who shifted to aging research - at the cellular level) recommended it strongly.

It pairs nicely (but not that effectively) with Philosopher's Holiday (where the philosopher and his wife travel throughout Europe).

I was charmed with how the philosopher's wife was concerned that her husband would change when he assumed national visibility through TV and radio interviews, assuming public positions on many issues that hadn't been his specific concerns in the past, and how all that would jeopardize their more rustic small college-town existence.

A lovely read; folks of many sorts and backgrounds could 'read into' this so much of their contrasting lives, since themes are nearly universal.