The Soul of the Marionette: A Short Enquiry into Human Freedom - Softcover
TLS BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2016
'Gray must be one of the best read of contemporary philosophers, trawling insouciantly through high-, middle- and low-brow literature with the sharp-eyed eclecticism of a magpie of genius' John Banville, Guardian
'Like Isaiah Berlin with a thing for sci-fi' Tibor Fischer, Spectator
Everyone thinks they want to be free - or do they? John Gray's thought-stirring new book on freedom draws together insights from Gnosticism, science fiction, ancient sacrifice and the occult to show that freedom is an illusion and that, like fairground puppets, humans dream of escaping the burden of choice altogether.
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About the Author:
John Gray is the author of many critically acclaimed books, including Straw Dogs and Al Qaeda and What It Means to Be Modern. A regular contributor to The New York Review of Books, he is a professor of European thought at the London School of Economics.
Review:
“[The Soul of the Marionette] is pervaded by the signature skepticism of its author, a British philosopher. Trapped in bodies, burdened by mortality, and ‘cursed with self-reflective thought,’ we are limited in our freedom. Gray dismisses modern rationalism, with its faith in human progress, as a kind of Gnosticism made from ‘scraps of decayed Christianity,’ whose central myth is that knowledge will set us free. Spirited tours through the lives and work of various artists add texture to his provocative arguments.” ―The New Yorker
“Illusion-piercing sobriety.” ―Booklist (starred review)
“[A]n intelligently written, thought-provoking book.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Gray connects the dots among science fiction (including that of Stanislaw Lem), Borges, the human-sacrificing Aztecs, global warming, and the loss of privacy (and freedom) that the cyberrevolution has wrought, challenging readers to make some leaps of logic and come to counterintuitive conclusions.” ―Kirkus Reviews
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- PublisherPenguin
- Publication date2016
- ISBN 10 0241953901
- ISBN 13 9780241953907
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages192
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. New softcover in matte printed wraps. Text is clean and free of marks or underlining. 12mo. (5.08 x 0.43 x 7.8 inches) 192 pp. Fast shipping in a secure book box mailer with tracking. 'Gray must be one of the best read of contemporary philosophers, trawling insouciantly through high-, middle- and low-brow literature with the sharp-eyed eclecticism of a magpie of genius' John Banville, Guardian 'Like Isaiah Berlin with a thing for sci-fi' Tibor Fischer, Spectator Everyone thinks they want to be free - or do they? John Gray's thought-stirring new book on freedom draws together insights from Gnosticism, science fiction, ancient sacrifice and the occult to show that freedom is an illusion and that, like fairground puppets, humans dream of escaping the burden of choice altogether. Seller Inventory # 200979
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The Soul of the Marionette (Paperback)
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(2016)
ISBN 10: 0241953901
ISBN 13: 9780241953907
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Everyone thinks they want to be free - or do they? John Gray's thought-stirring new book on freedom draws together insights from Gnosticism, science fiction, ancient sacrifice and the occult to show that freedom is an illusion and that, like fairground puppets, humans dream of escaping the burden of choice altogether.'Brilliant . brings home, with infectious learning, the many self-deceptions behind our reverence for freedom' Paul Binding, TLS, Books of the YearEveryone thinks they want to be free - or do they? John Gray's thought-stirring new book on freedom draws together insights from Gnosticism, science fiction, ancient sacrifice and the occult to show that freedom is an illusion and that, like fairground puppets, humans dream of escaping the burden of choice altogether.%%%TLS BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2016'Gray must be one of the best read of contemporary philosophers, trawling insouciantly through high-, middle- and low-brow literature with the sharp-eyed eclecticism of a magpie of genius' John Banville, Guardian'Like Isaiah Berlin with a thing for sci-fi' Tibor Fischer, SpectatorEveryone thinks they want to be free - or do they? John Gray's thought-stirring new book on freedom draws together insights from Gnosticism, science fiction, ancient sacrifice and the occult to show that freedom is an illusion and that, like fairground puppets, humans dream of escaping the burden of choice altogether.%%%In The Soul of the Marionette, John Gray draws together the religious, philosophic and fantastical traditions that question the very idea of human freedom. We flatter ourselves about the nature of free will and yet the most enormous forces - biological, physical, metaphysical - constrain our every action. Many writers and intellectuals have always understood this, but instead of embracing our condition we battle against it, with everyone from world conquerors to modern scientists dreaming of a 'human dominion' almost comically at odds with our true state.This is a stimulating and enraging meditation on everything from cybernetics to the fairground marionettes of the title. We flatter ourselves about the nature of free will and yet the most enormous forces - biological, physical, metaphysical - constrain our every action. This title draws together the religious, philosophic and fantastical traditions that question the very idea of human freedom. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780241953907
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Book Description Condition: New. We flatter ourselves about the nature of free will and yet the most enormous forces - biological, physical, metaphysical - constrain our every action. This title draws together the religious, philosophic and fantastical traditions that question the very idea of human freedom. Num Pages: 192 pages. BIC Classification: HPK; HPX. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 130 x 197 x 16. Weight in Grams: 146. 2016. Paperback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # 9780241953907
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Book Description Condition: New. We flatter ourselves about the nature of free will and yet the most enormous forces - biological, physical, metaphysical - constrain our every action. This title draws together the religious, philosophic and fantastical traditions that question the very idea of human freedom. Num Pages: 192 pages. BIC Classification: HPK; HPX. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 130 x 197 x 16. Weight in Grams: 146. 2016. Paperback. . . . . Seller Inventory # 9780241953907
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