Makers Of The Modern Mind

MAKERS of the MODERN MIND by THOMAS P. NEILL. PREFACE BY THE GENERAL EDITOR: THE subject of this book, MAKERS OF THE MODERN MIND, cannot fail to exercise a strong attraction upon numerous present-day readers. It is something novel in the field, not written foi the specialist scholar, but for the overwhelmingly larger number of intelligent men and women desirous of correct information on the important matters dealt with here. They are the men and women who, in particular, deserve more attention than has so far been given them, and something more substantial, the author believes, than the intellectual pabulum hitherto handed them by most popularizers. It is to such readers, therefore more numer ous than either the college professor or movie producer will ad mitthat this book is directed. The scholar, in turn, cannot afford to miss it. To weigh the importance of its subject matter and gauge the interest attached to its pages it suffices only to read the familiar names that serve as chapter headings Luther, Calvin, Descartes, Locke, Newton, Rousseau, Kant, Bentham, Darwin, Marx, and Freud. Attention is given to each in turn, with all due discrimi nation between the good and evil, the false and true, that may be found in the work and writings of these men. Familiar, no doubt, to every reader are most of these eleven names whose bearers have in general sought to influence the modern mind. They are largely the names of men in whose de fense or condemnation thousands are still ready to range them selves. Truly, then, intelligent readers of every class must obvi ously be more than moderately interested in the bearers of these names. Moreover, the knowledge of how the modern mind has been affected and developed through them will enable us to comprehend more readily how it works in this our day. Such, then, is the moving panorama with which every intelli gent reader who follows the course of world events will wish to be acquainted. The author himself can be relied upon to remain undeviatingly fair in his treatment of each individual, in his dis cussions and final implications, giving due reasons for praise or blame, preserving invariably his peace and balance of mind, and withal that saving sense of humor which prevails throughout. JOSEPH HUSSLEIN.