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Bacon's memorable insight is specially significant when applied to the wide range of works by some of the world's most renowned writers, poets, philosophers, and intellectuals - men and women whose determination to espouse and defend the cause of humanism and freethought, interpreted broadly, has given us a well-endowed repository of the wisdom of the ages. In "A Celebration of Humanism and Freethought", author David Allen Williams has mined this vast body of literature. The result is this priceless treasury of poetry and prose draped in art and rare steel engravings from more than a century ago.Amid its beauty, readers will find a unified call to reason, tolerance, and freedom of expression in opposition to the forces of ignorance, supernaturalism, superstition, and dogmatism.The words of over eighty of the world's most often read and frequently quoted authors are included: among them Aristotle, Matthew Arnold, Marcus Aurelius, Francis Bacon, Cicero, Joseph Conrad, Charles Darwin, Diogenes, John Donne, Will Durant, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Epicurus, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Edith Hamilton, Eric Hoffer, Homer, Robert Ingersoll, Thomas Jefferson, Lucretius, Bertrand Russell, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, George Santayana, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Voltaire, H.G. Wells, and many others. This is a remarkable collection of compelling ideas and impressive art that deserves a place on every bookshelf. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Beautiful book of wisdom and inspiration.
The kind of book that is picked up from time to time for a fresh dose of insight. The illustrations are very detailed - fascinating. Useful for pointing the reader to important ideas and writers, and further reading. A great addition to home libraries - highly recommended.

Great Art, Great Quotes, Wonderful Non-religious Inspiration
I think the other reviewer missed the point of the whole book. It presents the philosophy of Humanism without bitterness against religion. If you're looking for an attack on religion, don't buy this book. If you're looking for insight into humanism, then it's a great buy (cheaper used editions available).

It is a book to thumb through and find inspiration. Almost every page has a beautiful rare engraving that makes the book worthwhile even without the quotations that match the engravings so perfectly. It is in reality an great art book that has been overlooked because of it's title.

Yes, the author includes a small amount of his own commentary, but this only enriches the quotations and gives them context. And, of course, with so many quotations, how can they all be consistent? This is as it should be. This is the nature of life. "Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds," is one of several great quotations from Emerson.

There are many witty engravings that stand out. One shows "A preacher pointing to Scripture, arguing with an angel from God!"The quotation that goes with it is: "For, he argues razor-witted/That can't be which is not permitted." By Christian Morgenstern (1805-1867). Subtle humor!

There are also quotations from the great poets. John Donne's "No Man Is An Island," for example. Below it is an engraving of a bell tower, and on the opposite page is an engraving of a man standing by a wall looking out at the bell tower on the opposite page. The facing engravings are a perfect match for Donne's famous lines.

There are quotations from the Bible, but the Bible is our common heritage and should be mined for its beauty and inspiration. For example (Proverbs 30:18-19): "There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: the way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid."

How beautiful--especially when the opposite page shows an old man offering a young woman a chest of jewels and a young man with his hand over his heart. The engraving is by Willaim Bouguereau (1825-1905) and is entitled, "Between Love and Riches."The book is full of such engravings and little-known quotations.

There is an engraving of a sunset with these lines from Matthew Arnold (1822-1888). The selection is titled, "An Answer To Paul" (New Testament).
Is it so small of thing
To have enjoyed the sun,
To have lived light in the spring,
To have loved, to have thought, to have don;
To have advanced true friends, and
beat down baffling foes?

On another page has a rare engraving of a man tripping over an ankor as he chases an angel and below that is an engraving of a bunch of men hanging from a tree. The quotation that goes with it is from the poet John Keats: "Fanatics have their dreams, wherewith they weave a paradise for a sect."

Another page shows a goat about to headbutt winged figure. The quotation that goes with it is from the philosopher Will Durant (1885-1981): "The cleverest defenders of a faith are its greatest enemies; for their subtleties engender doubt and stimiluate the mind."

There is a very impressive comparison of Creationism with Evolution. On the one page is a rare engraving showing God pulling Eve out of Adam's side, and on the opposite page is the "Tower of Time" showing man rising up from the apes.

Another engravings shows a man asleep on a mountain trail with a nude "mountain sprite" teasing him with a rose. Opposite this picture are Thomas H. Huxley's great lines on "The Splendor of Man's Capacities." It goes in part that man is "...of one substance with the dullest clay, but raised by inward forces to that place of proud and seemingly inaccessible glory."

There's an engraving of two Catholic priests laughing their heads off. The author entitled it, "A Good Story, the Medicine of Philosophy." He has a great sense of humor in quoting Archbishop Temple: "My aunt," Bishop Temple said, "was suddenly prevented from going on a voyage in a ship that went down--would you call that a case of Providential interference?" The other man says, "Can't tell; didn't know your aunt."

This is a great book that deserves a place on the shelf of anybody with an open mind and a sense of humor about their own beliefs (either skeptics or believers).

The cover is beautiful, too. The rare engraving shows "Time Pulling Truth To Light" (out of the dark clouds of ignorance).

Not woth the money
Thisw book fails on a few levels.First, the quotes picked are often short, unrelated, or contradictory, including a couple which are simply theistic.Second,Williams iserts his own little exclamatory remarks throughout the book (things like "Oh Aristotle, how lucky we were to know you!).The format has the quote from the famous luminary on the right page, and Williams words, thoughts or praise on the left.With all due respect, William's words could have been kept to an introduction, rather then half the book.Especially considering he just acts as an MC for those quoted, he doesn't add any thoughts of substance.

Were this book ($$$), I wouldn't be so harsh on it.But ($$$) for a book that's a not particularly well produced, undersized hardcover, it's ridiculous.Take the money and by the works of the contributors instead. ... Read more

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Petrarch was one of the founding fathers of Renaissance humanism, yet the nature and significance of his ideas are still widely debated. In this book, Gur Zak examines two central issues in Petrarch's works - his humanist philosophy and his concept of the self. Zak argues that both are defined by Petrarch's idea of care for the self. Overcome by a strong sense of fragmentation, Petrarch turned to the ancient idea that philosophy can bring harmony and wholeness to the soul through the use of spiritual exercises in the form of writing. Examining his vernacular poetry and his Latin works from both literary and historical perspectives, Zak explores Petrarch's attempts to use writing as a spiritual exercise, how his spiritual techniques absorbed and transformed ancient and medieval traditions of writing, and the tensions that arose from his efforts to care for the self through writing. ... Read more

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This book reclaims Marx's Capital from the myth of inconsistency. An accessible account written for non-specialist readers, it shows that the inconsistencies are actually caused by misinterpretation; the recent temporal single-system interpretation eliminates all of the alleged inconsistencies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Reclaiming Marx's "Capital"
Capitalism is currently in the throes of the worst systemic financial crisis and recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s--a crisis producing global economic and social repercussions and global human miseries. As a result, many people the world over are looking for an explanation of it all and a way out. It is only natural, therefore, to turn to Marx to see what he had to say. But why do that if, as has been claimed for over 100 years, Marx's basic economic-theoretic insights, as put forward in "Capital", are internally inconsistent? Why use it to understand the current mess or try to build upon his theoretical framework to grasp current reality if, at the heart of it, there are fatal logical flaws? Indeed, why read him at all?--for an internally inconsistent theory cannot possibly be correct.

Against the standard (mis)interpretation of both Marxist and non-Marxist economists alike, Andrew Kliman, in his latest book, has set for himself the not inconsiderable task of reclaiming Marx's "Capital" from what he calls the myth of internal inconsistency. To this reviewer's mind, the author has more than amply succeeded in the task which he has undertaken.

As the author points out, while engaging the inconsistency controversy necessarily covers many fundamental questions of Marx's political economy, the book is certainly not (nor was it meant to be) an all-inclusive treatment of the entire contents of "Capital". Nor is the book meant to be a primer or recapitulation or overall interpretation of "Capital", nor, lastly, a defense of everything Marx wrote in "Capital". Rather, it is a critical-textual (exegetical) interpretation of Marx's value theory, whose purpose is to make Marx's own value theory make sense on Marx's own terms and on Marx's own terrain and thereby eliminate the allegations of internal inconsistency leveled against Marx.

Dr. Kliman walks the reader through all aspects of the controversy--its origins, development, the key issues and his answers to those issues. He also clearly sets out any conceptual apparatus needed to understand the points of the controversy and those who are already generally familiar with them. Throughout the book, his literary style is clear, lively and spirited.

Since Marx's theory of value and theory of the tendency of the rate of profit to fall are two crucial aspects of his critique of political economy and analysis of the capitalist mode of production, the rejection of the notion that Marx was a static-equilibrium, a-temporal theorist is central to return to the real Marx as a dynamic, process/relational-based, temporal theorist. As such, Marx's theoretic framework stands in no need of being "corrected" by von Bortkiewicz, Sweezy, Okishio, Steedman or any of the others, whether they be Marxists, Sraffians or whatever. Kliman convincingly demonstrates that Marx's value theory based upon socially-necessary labor-time is fundamentally incompatible with the misguided critics' method/model of simultaneous valuation of inputs and outputs used in and obtained from the process of production. Once this is recognized, the critics' arguments asserting Marx's internal inconsistency fall apart. Moreover, Kliman shows that nowhere have the simultaneists proved that Marx's text must be read through the lens of the simultaneist model.

The next essential step which the author takes is to show that simultaneist analysis also invariably leads to physicalist ("physical quantities approach") conclusions regarding value, price and profit and that physicalism is likewise incompatible with Marx's labor theory of value. It is the other side of the simultaneist 'bad penny'. Both simultaneism and physicalism reduce Marx's value theory to either a quaint appendage of little use (at best), or dissolve it completely into thin air (at worst).

The above considerations are crucially important when dealing with the controversy over the law of the tendency of the falling rate of profit (LTFRP), which Marx himself considered to be a result of singular significance for the understanding of the capitalist mode of production.

Within the LTFRP controversy, one runs across the much-cited (and almost universally believed) Okishio theorem (1961). This theorem is yet another "impossibility" proof. Where Marx's law shows that the capitalists' introduction of machines--to save labor and increase productivity--will tend to cause the overall, average rate of profit to fall, the Okishio theorem supposedly proves, to the contrary, that using Marx's premises, a falling rate of profit due to mechanization (technological innovation) is impossible. The author meets this challenge head on and shows exactly why this "impossibility" proof of Okishio is invalid. Briefly, it is invalid to use simultaneous valuation of inputs and outputs (asserting, incorrectly, their value-equality across time) under conditions where (according to Marx) the proportion of dead-labor (machines--which merely transfer value) is growing larger (progessive mechanization) in relation to living-labor (the only source of new value), thereby reducing the values (and prices) per unit of the commodities produced by the use of those machines.

There are additional aspects to the myth of internal inconsistency in "Capital" which Dr. Kliman critically examines in his book--the famous Transformation Problem (Marx's transformation of values into prices of production) and the so-called "Fundamental Marxian Theorem", among others. This reviewer will leave it to the reader to discover Dr. Kliman's positions on these issues.

In sum, then, Andrew Kliman's book constitutes a powerful and much-needed refutation of the myth of the internal inconsistency of Marx's "Capital". May it inspire and encourage people to go out and read Marx himself. Dr. Kliman's book deserves to be widely read and discussed. It is the right book coming at the right time.

it helps me to understand Marx on economics
I have read a fair amount of Marxist economics over the last 40 years. During this period, I have always been puzzled by issues of time and how the period between the use of capital in producing a commodity and the time at which it is sold affects its value.This has clearly been a key aspect of the issues around the rate of profit and the transformation problem, and previous discussions of this have left me puzzled at how the authors could write what they did.

Kliman's answers, by contrast, make sense. They convince me that much of what passes as Marxist economics is deeply flawed. As a bonus for the reader, the book is extremely clearly written--which is often a sign that the writer understands the subject matter very well indeed.

I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand and/or to change the world.

sam friedman

The myth of the transformation problem
Andrew Kliman's book seeks to reclaim Marx' "Capital" as a work of internal consistency and a valid, if not necessarily correct, exposition of the Marxist Law of Value. His main opponents in this, interestingly enough, are other Marxists, and the followers of Sraffa, both of which have done everything imaginable over the past century to propagate the myth that there is a "transformation problem" between prices and values in Marxist economic theory, and that Marx needs to be 'corrected' to fix this glaring oversight.

Kliman demonstrates irrefutably that these claims are false. He shows that, for each and every 'exposé' and each and every subsequent 'solution' proposed, the same errors are at the basis of the reasoning. All of the arguments about the transformation problem rest on either dualism between price and value, which Marx nowhere supports, or physicalism (which means that profit exists as physical surplus), which is false, or simultaneism (which means that input prices and output prices have to be equal during the same production period), which is also false, or usually a combination of these things. Even well-respected Marxist economists, such as Laibman and Moseley, have fallen into this trap, and this goes for non-Marxists who have written about Marxist economics equally (Robinson and Samuelson for example).

By destroying the basis of the physicalist, dualist, simultaneist critique of Marx, and substituting for it the temporal single system interpretation (TSSI) of Marx, which allows everything Marx says in "Capital" to make sense and to be internally valid and consistent, Kliman demonstrates that the "transformation problem" has been a problem on the part of some readers, not Marx, all along, and that the reports of the death of the Marxist theory of value have been greatly exaggerated.

All of this is done wonderfully and with iron logic. The one downside of this book, as with every book by Kliman and/or Freeman, is the pointless invective aimed at their opponents and the almost paranoid tone in which the lack of positive reception on the part of Kliman et al. is discussed. Even respected Marxist colleagues, who probably agree politically and scientifically with Kliman on 99.9% of all issues, are constantly portrayed as ignorant at best and malevolent and intellectually dishonest at worst, without any proof for this at all. Kliman and the other TSSI people would probably do better to be more respectful in their refutations of their opponents, because in that way they make it a lot easier for these opponents to change their stance without feeling humiliated about it. This would be beneficial for Marxism and all of economics as a whole, since the TSSI interpretation is most certainly correct.

A Conundrum Resolved
Andrew Kliman has done all those that have an interest in the question of value as presented by Marx a big favor. He has finally given us as close to a definitive proof as we are ever likely to get that all of those that have qualified their discussion of Marx's value and transformation problems as "internally inconsistent" are simply wrong. Professor Kliman makes it very clear that proving the detractors of Marx ;on this seminal issue; were wrong does not necessarily prove that Marx was correct; it merely shows that the near global acceptance of the view of "internal inconsistency" rests on nothing else by shifting sand.
We all owe Andrew Kliman a debt of gratitude for illuminating this issue in a clear and uncluttered style.In a sense this book is way overdue. Reclaiming Marx's Capital proved to be a much more delightful read than I would have anticipated. Once you finish the book the reader feels that s/he is finally in control of all the varied elements of this puzzle, including its history.
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Understaning The Times
I haven't found a book out there that does a better job of explaining the different views...This book is well worth it's weight in gold...A terrific book for studies on Prophecy. ... Read more

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Robert Sharpe examines the humanist conception of music as a language--as expressive and intelligible--which has been a dominant theory in Western culture. He argues against the view that music is expressive by causing certain states in us. Rather, he contends that our beliefs about music are integral to our appreciation of it. Differences in musical taste are then not just irresolvable differences in sensitivity, but the result of variations in circumstance and upbringing, of associations and ideology. ... Read more

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André Cossette's Humanism and Libraries is a concise but rigorous investigation into the foundations of librarianship-its definition and its aims. Philosophical and logical in its approach, it is intended to provide solid ground and unity for professional practice.Though the work was originally published in French in 1976 in Quebec by ASTED, Library Juice Press has found it to have enduring relevance and value, and has therefore made this English translation. The book includes a preface that makes the case for reading a work from the 1970s on library philosophy, and a set of "questions for reflection" following the text. ... Read more

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More than twenty years ago, the Italian chemist, writer and Holocaust survivor Primo Levi fell to his death from the stairwell of his apartment building in Turin. Within hours, a debate exploded as to whether his death was an accident or a suicide and, if the latter, how this might force us to reinterpret his legacy as a writer and "survivor." Many weighed in with thoughtful and sometimes provocative commentary, but the debate over his death has sometimes overshadowed the larger significance of his place as a thinker "after Auschwitz."

This volume contains essays that deal directly with Levi and his work; others tangentially use Levi's writings or ideas to explore larger issues in Holocaust studies, philosophy, theology, and the problem of representation. They are included here in the spirit that Levi described himself: proud of being "impure" and a "centaur," cognizant that asymmetry is the fundamental structure of organic life.

"I became a Jew in Auschwitz," Levi once wrote, comparing the concentration camp to a "university" of life. Yet he could also paradoxically admit, in an interview late in life, "There is Auschwitz, and so there cannot be God." Rather than seek to untanglethese contradictions, Levi embraced them. This volume seeks to embrace them as well. ... Read more

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Civic Humanism has been one of the most influential concepts in the history of ideas ever since the pioneering work of Hans Baron and J. G. A. Pocock. This book reassesses Renaissance republican thinkers in relation to the medieval and early modern traditions of political thought and proposes new understandings of the evolution of important republican concepts. The distinguished team of American and European political theorists and historians together contribute a distinctive and significant addition to the study of republican political ideology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Outstanding
This book is an outstanding introduction to humanism, covering the basics of the philosophy in a clear, straightforward manner. I suspect there a very few people who would disagree with the moral philosophy and ideas espoused in this book, except of course that humanism is not based at all on the supernatural or supernatural-based texts (such as the Bible). And while humanism is not atheist per se, for all intents and purposes, it reflects the fact that humanists don't rely on invisible gods, and consider gods irrelevant in any case since humanists take full responsibility for their own lives and their own thinking. Quite inspirational!

I'm the author of a novel, Kaleidoscope, in which I explore similar themes in a fictional context.

Humanism: As the Next Step
I gave this book five stars because it is an easy read and gives you answers to any questions you might have about Humanism.It's a handbook on what Humanism is about and how you can apply it to your life.

Very good look at the basics of Humanism
Humanism is a system of belief that feels that problems can best be solved by logical, perceptive thinking and understanding the wway the world works. It doesn't believe in placing faith in a deity or philosophy where matters are accepted on faith and held to be true for all time.

In early days, religion was used to explain natural occurrences like life and death, summer and winter. People now have scientific answers to such questions. Humanism is a philosophy without heaven, divine revelation or sacred scriptures, so humanists fix their attention on this life.

To a humanist, God can be thought of as nature, as goodness in people or the way things work in the universe. An impersonal conception of God is not necessarily rejected, but there are better ways to express these parts of nature. The truthfulness of sacred scripture like the Bible or Koran is less important than how well they serve as inspirational guides for some people. Some humanists do go to church, in more liberal congregations like Quaker, methodist, liberal Jewish, or Unitarian-Universalist.

There are two elements that make up the Humanist approach to personal problem solving. The first is a state of mind of self-reliance and confidence. There are perfectly natural reasons for people's actions, not the conjunction of the planets or the configuration of crystals. The second is to keep an open mind and be reluctant to jump to conclusions.

Knowing absolutely nothing about Humanism before starting this book, I had no idea what to expect. The authors do a fine job at painlessly taking the reader through Humanism. Anyone who is not satisfied with, or oherwise questioning, their present religion, could do a lot worse than read this book.

Thnk You, Lloyd and Mary Morain!
I cannot praise this book highly enough. It is brief, easy to read, informative, and deeply inspiring. If you are a humanist like me then youwill be moved by this work. If you want to know more about secular orreligious humanism for any reason then this book is essential reading. Myonly complaint is that I was done with the book much too soon; I want toread more!

"Humanism as the Next Step" contains a briefoverview of the history of modern humanism and the earlier cultural andphilosophical movements that have led up to it. It introduces the reader tothe humanist heritage by looking at some of the works and words of some ofthe more notable humanists. And it explains in clear, common-sense languagejust what humanism is and what it means for those who are committed toit.

This book looks at humanism in all its subtle variations, includingboth "secular" humanism and "religious" humanism. Bothterms actually mean basically the same thing, which can be confusing fornew students of humanism. As the Morains put it, "Whether or not onelooks at humanism as a religion, as a philosophy, as a life stance, or as away of life is, we believe, largely a matter of personal temperament andpreference."

I was impressed by the way the Morains (and FredEdwords, whose insightful essay "The Humanist Philosophy inPerspective" is included), explained the humanist view in a clear,logical, and easily understood manner. This satisfied the secular humanistin me. But they also looked at the aspects of humanism which are, for lackof a better word, "spiritual." This gratified the religioushumanist in me. As a logical thinker with a bit of a spiritual bent I foundthat both sides of my being were being spoken to, and very persuasively.Indeed, this is what I find so wonderful about the humanist perspective. Itallows me to find meaning, wonder, and moral guidance in life whilefollowing the guidance of reason. While traditional Western religion putsreason and spirituality at odds, humanism integrates them. But sadly thisessential aspect of humanist thought is neglected by some humanist writers,who focus excessively on the critique of popular religious myths and notenough on the joyful, awe-inspiring nature of life when viewed through thehumanist lens.

A brilliant down-to-earth guide on the Humanist philosophy.
Humanism as the Next Step by Lloyd and Mary Morain is a brilliant down-to-earth guide to the Humanist philosophy. It is totally positive and deeply inspiring, written in a style that is easy to read and to understand. This book gives a great introductory overview for the generalreader, but even more, its joyful presentation will surely be a delight forthe newly aware Humanist who's just discovering that there's actually aname for the earth-oriented, human-focused, non-religious lifestance whichthey have chosen. When one rejects supernatural religious belief andfollows the logic of their own reasoning, there may be no comfort orreassurance at all in this position; quite the contrary, one's stance mightalienate or antagonize significant others, and cause one to feel isolated.This book is a joyous affirmation of the Humanist philosophy! Howcomforting to know that there are millions of other Humanists out there! Itwill serve also to reaffirm the convictions of even a long-time Humanist.And because it's jam-packed with important historical references: names,dates, descriptions and documents, so handy, right at the fingertips, everyHumanist leader/speaker/teacher, as well, will find itindispensable.

Sometimes Humanists can get bogged down with the burden offeeling responsible, knowing full well that there's no quick fix or easyout; there's no supernatural guidance for decision-making, no absolutionfor our shortcomings. Humanism is not for the faint-hearted. It's hard work"shivering in the draft of an open mind." This book is filledwith very practical information and examples for helping us to tackle ourproblems with Humanist fervor and wisdom, and I'm finding that it is agreat comfort to me.

In early 1980 I enjoyed reading the First Edition ofthe Morain's book at the publisher's offices. Later I found a well-worn,book-marked copy on Corliss Lamont's desk top, beside his own ThePhilosophy of Humanism, and among other favorites by Payne, Dewey, Kurtz,Russell, and Santayana. How wonderful and appropriate that Humanism as theNext Step has been newly published by Humanist Press, along with a chapterby Frederick Edwords so concise it could even serve as Humanist ManifestoIII. The group photo used for the book cover is like a little reunion ofthe human family and reminds that we are not really alone, but that we haveeach other. ... Read more