BOOKS: Nobility of Spirit:

Oxford

What happens when the pursuit of high intellectual ideals is pushed aside for the pursuit of nonsense? Well__ seems to be happening today__ at least according to Rob Rieman who in his book: "Nobility of Spirit: A Forgotten Ideal," argues for an "elite ideal" of intellectualism or the "nobility of a high intellectual spirit." Rieman believes that this "nobility of spirit" is the quintessence of a civilized world. Without this nobility culture disappears. Yet today this concept of the "nobility of spirit" is not even considered_too elitist perhaps? Not politically correct? This nobility is acquired through education not through privilege. Rieman argues that Western society needs an over reaching eternal purpose that looks beyond mere politics when it comes to solving its problems such as an economic meltdown or the threat of terrorism. He uses a long line of philosophical thought starting with Socrates and winding its way through the ideas of Spinoza, Goethe and Mann to support his proposition. This book is an all out defense of the virtues of Western culture and intellectualism, a call to arms in defense of a culture today that seems to be disintegrating into meaningless nonsense.