Roberto Kreyche, the betrayal of wisdom, New York: Alba House, 1972, ISBN 0-8189-0248-5, pp. xii+237, Cost not mentioned.
Our world is exhibiting a considerable amount of fragmentation. It is a tragic fact that man, despite the tremendous extension of his scientific and technological knowledge, is still in a fundamental ignorance of the real needs of the human spirit and of the type of knowledge that would integrate the values of his intellect, will and spirit. . . The postmodern culture that permeates our world is characterized by a distrust of ideas like purpose, goal, soul, and the like.
In this book, the author aims to attempt to clear up the confusion caused by the failure of contemporary philosophy to provide a curative remedy for the growing skepticism, positivism, and agnosticism plaguing the mind of man. It presents a skilful analysis of the dethronement of human reason and the steps necessary to reintegrate it into life. Unfortunately, with the rise of analytical schools and the like, philosophy has moved away from its original vocation, that is, helping human beings to shape their lives according to the challenges of reality. He emphasizes the need for ‘integral realism’, an idea borrowed from Jacques Maritain. If he could sum up the essence of integral realism in one line, it would be: integration not only between philosophy and life, but between values and facts, theory and practice, the realm of individual concern, and the facts of social life.
The book has 13 well chosen and well presented chapters. The author displays his scholarship and foundation in modern and contemporary philosophy, particularly American philosophy. An American by birth, it is natural for him to write about philosophy in its context and for its context. Therefore, in this regard, it is not possible or even correct to reproach him. However, the book has two drawbacks, not in itself but in the present context. First, the book was written in the early 1970s, and therefore some of the “issues” and perhaps some of the counter-arguments are not really relevant anymore. Second, the intended audience for the books is American, and therefore people like me from a different country find little of what is discussed relevant, interesting, and related. For example, the author frequently cites John Dewey and William James, purely American authors and therefore little known in the Indian context. However, the main themes that the author addresses in each chapter offer valuable food for thought.
The book would work well as an introduction to philosophy. Beginners will find the author’s language easy to read and understand and the topics easy to understand. I would recommend this book to all those embarking on the adventure of philosophy. However, keep in mind that the author wrote this book many years ago, addressing a malaise of that time with the knowledge he had then. Therefore, he does not use concepts or ideas that arose later like the ideas of postmodernism, for example, although some of his solution proposals were taken up and promoted by postmodernists. The book offers an interesting thesis and offers many possibilities for further study and reflection. The author is to be commended for his work and for his practical approach to philosophy. Despite being critical of the prevailing American pragmatism, the subtle influence of it can be noted. The author concludes the book by stating that his purpose in writing it was to motivate people to assume intellectual leadership roles and provide reasonable answers to the challenges of human existence aggravated by the advancement of technology and fundamentalist doctrines.
