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How the French Think: An Affectionate Portrait of an Intellectual People by Sudhir Hazareesingh
fleural's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars.
How the French Think: An Affectionate Portrait of an Intellectual People by Sudhir Hazareesingh is an overview of French culture, history, and philosophy. It focuses greatly on the impact of the French Revolution and Napoleon´s leadership of France, while also including the philosophies of the Enlightenment and French politics in a way that is more or less easy to digest with some background knowledge in philosophy and politics. There is considerable concentration on The French Revolution and Napoleonic Eras and while these are intrinsic to the author´s later points, there is so little covered on modern thought and philosophy that even the overview of post-WWII France seems far too brief. Nationalism is deeply covered to an exhausting extent, and I truthfully had a hard time finishing this book. There was a ton of interesting material in it--from the occultism of various French greats to various communist sects within French society--but mostly presented within the first 50 pages of the book. Worth reading, not a waste of time, but difficult to get through after a while.
How the French Think: An Affectionate Portrait of an Intellectual People by Sudhir Hazareesingh is an overview of French culture, history, and philosophy. It focuses greatly on the impact of the French Revolution and Napoleon´s leadership of France, while also including the philosophies of the Enlightenment and French politics in a way that is more or less easy to digest with some background knowledge in philosophy and politics. There is considerable concentration on The French Revolution and Napoleonic Eras and while these are intrinsic to the author´s later points, there is so little covered on modern thought and philosophy that even the overview of post-WWII France seems far too brief. Nationalism is deeply covered to an exhausting extent, and I truthfully had a hard time finishing this book. There was a ton of interesting material in it--from the occultism of various French greats to various communist sects within French society--but mostly presented within the first 50 pages of the book. Worth reading, not a waste of time, but difficult to get through after a while.
boomt's review against another edition
4.0
Hazareesingh presents an accessible and lucid review of French philosophy from Descartes and Rousseau to the present. The book celebrates the passion for ideas that is underlies the French approach to the world.
Philosophy is more than an academic pursuit. The debate of ideas, "the French predilection for conducting arguments about the good life around idealized metaphysical concepts," is a dynamic underlying French politics, literature, and culture.
Last January 3.7 million people marched in Paris right after the Charlie Hebdo attacks as an expression of solidarity with core values of tolerance and freedom of expression in the face of hatred, intolerance, and violence. I finished this book the day terrorists unleashed a series of attacks in Paris killing over 120. May the French continue to show us how to stay true to one's ideals in the face of evil.
"the Gallic attachment to the deductive method of reasoning, immortalized by Descartes, which starts with a general, abstract proposition and then proceeds to a particular conclusion or proposition."
Philosophy is more than an academic pursuit. The debate of ideas, "the French predilection for conducting arguments about the good life around idealized metaphysical concepts," is a dynamic underlying French politics, literature, and culture.
Last January 3.7 million people marched in Paris right after the Charlie Hebdo attacks as an expression of solidarity with core values of tolerance and freedom of expression in the face of hatred, intolerance, and violence. I finished this book the day terrorists unleashed a series of attacks in Paris killing over 120. May the French continue to show us how to stay true to one's ideals in the face of evil.
boomt's review
4.0
Hazareesingh presents an accessible and lucid review of French philosophy from Descartes and Rousseau to the present. The book celebrates the passion for ideas that is underlies the French approach to the world.
Philosophy is more than an academic pursuit. The debate of ideas, "the French predilection for conducting arguments about the good life around idealized metaphysical concepts," is a dynamic underlying French politics, literature, and culture.
Last January 3.7 million people marched in Paris right after the Charlie Hebdo attacks as an expression of solidarity with core values of tolerance and freedom of expression in the face of hatred, intolerance, and violence. I finished this book the day terrorists unleashed a series of attacks in Paris killing over 120. May the French continue to show us how to stay true to one's ideals in the face of evil.
"the Gallic attachment to the deductive method of reasoning, immortalized by Descartes, which starts with a general, abstract proposition and then proceeds to a particular conclusion or proposition."
Philosophy is more than an academic pursuit. The debate of ideas, "the French predilection for conducting arguments about the good life around idealized metaphysical concepts," is a dynamic underlying French politics, literature, and culture.
Last January 3.7 million people marched in Paris right after the Charlie Hebdo attacks as an expression of solidarity with core values of tolerance and freedom of expression in the face of hatred, intolerance, and violence. I finished this book the day terrorists unleashed a series of attacks in Paris killing over 120. May the French continue to show us how to stay true to one's ideals in the face of evil.
morganhenley's review
3.0
The book drags on at some points, but overall interesting. If you can get through the first half, the second half will be a rewarded as it's ability to find themes within French history and culture are impressive.
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