The human situation: Lectures at Santa Barbara, 1959 (A Cass Canfield book) [Hardcover]

Aldous Huxley (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 261 pages
• Publisher: Harper & Row; 1st edition (1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060120916
• ISBN-13: 978-0060120917
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,951,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) is the author of the classic novels Island, Eyeless in Gaza, and The Genius and the Goddess, as well as such critically acclaimed nonfiction works as The Devils of Loudun, The Doors of Perception, and The Perennial Philosophy. Born in Surrey, England, and educated at Oxford, he died in Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking insights still relevant after 50 years, March 4, 2005

By 

SKB Greystone (Montreal, Que CANADA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Human Situation: The Lectures Given at Santa Barbara (Hardcover)

The Human Situation is a collection of lectures delivered by Huxley at Santa Barbara in 1959. The topics covered range from the nature of man to the foundations of language, with discourses on religion and nationalism thrown in for good measure.

Huxley brings his penetrating and prescient insights to bear on his topics, addressing them not as universal truths to be uncovered but rather as open questions to be examined from all angles. Of particular interest is his treatment of the ancient links between mysticism ('the religion of immediate experience') and mainstream Christian denominationalism ('religion as the manipulation of symbols').

The Human Situation stands on its own merits as a well-written, accessible text on issues that, even today, have broad impacts on public policy, human health, and social order. This book also serves as a useful primer or jumping-off point for further forays into philosophy, religion, and the life of the individual in modern times.

5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite Huxley work, February 12, 2012

By 

Michael "Michael" (Hamburg, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Human Situation: Lectures at Santa Barbara, 1959 (Flamingo Modern Classics) (Paperback)

I don't understand why this book is so seldom reprinted, because this is arguably the greatest exposition of Huxley's personal philosophy that exists. His insights into the future and his prediction of many current developments are startling. This is a book to read again and again, and is a must-read in my opinion, for anyone interested in current global developments and challenges.