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caffeinated_bookaholic's review against another edition
5.0
It grew on me. Ultimately I think Trueman has a wide-ranging understanding of important philosophical voices, and provides several synthetic keys into developing a historical view of the rise of expressive individualism. The early chapters tried too hard to have "3 things that define this" and "5 eras which define that" type of thing. The second half where he really starts digging into more authors shines. Main takeaways for me were moving sex from an action you take to an internal identity, and a Marx-Freud combo making history a dialectic of (internal) oppression. His point about expressive individualism inhibiting rational dialogue at the end was really interesting and could use some unpacking.
bethwyant's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to this book on audio and enjoyed it very much. As the author states, it is neither a lament or postulation. It is a study of cultural history and how we came to be in this specific revolution we now find ourselves in. I appreciate his research and enjoyed his voice. I believe anyone could read this book without offense.
kcsmith's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent, thoroughly researched book tracing the history of how people see themselves in the current era. My only criticism is that it is a little too long and academic. While I appreciate the documentation and detailed history, I don't need it to understand his main points. I hear he is publishing a more summarized, less academic version later this year. If so, I highly recommend that for those who want a more abridged version. I believe Carl is a treasure to the church in these times.
chloefolmar's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn’t captivated by The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self starting out, but the concepts integrated well as the chapters went along. I think Trueman’s diagnosis of Western (particularly American) culture is exactly correct. Americans have been captured by an ideology that elevates the autonomous self above all — that ideology has merged with an obsessive cultural fixation on sex, resulting in the dehumanizing and hypersexualized culture of modern day.
In conversation with the works of Marx, Nietzsche, Freud and others, Trueman explores the philosophical foundations of ideas that today are accepted as axiomatic. His emphasis on Freud was interesting to me; I hadn’t thought of Freudian thought as a pivotal cultural building block, but Trueman made a persuasive case that Freud stands behind much of our society’s sexualization. All of these thinkers, Trueman reveals, have served as impetuses for the LGBT ideology that now pervades our culture.
Meant as an academic study, the book only includes a brief chapter of applicational advice for its readers. Trueman holds out hope that as the years go on and more people struggle with the aftermath of gender reassignment surgeries, Americans will rethink their impulse to “live and let live” in supporting permanent body alterations that injure already hurting people.
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self won’t be a thrilling read for someone disinterested in philosophy, but it raises crucial points that everyone would do well to ponder. Not to mention, it’s always humbling to recognize how steeped our brains are in historical and cultural context — it allows me to take a step back from myself and recognize that most of my mental framework is not as independent and discerning as I’d like to think it is.
In conversation with the works of Marx, Nietzsche, Freud and others, Trueman explores the philosophical foundations of ideas that today are accepted as axiomatic. His emphasis on Freud was interesting to me; I hadn’t thought of Freudian thought as a pivotal cultural building block, but Trueman made a persuasive case that Freud stands behind much of our society’s sexualization. All of these thinkers, Trueman reveals, have served as impetuses for the LGBT ideology that now pervades our culture.
Meant as an academic study, the book only includes a brief chapter of applicational advice for its readers. Trueman holds out hope that as the years go on and more people struggle with the aftermath of gender reassignment surgeries, Americans will rethink their impulse to “live and let live” in supporting permanent body alterations that injure already hurting people.
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self won’t be a thrilling read for someone disinterested in philosophy, but it raises crucial points that everyone would do well to ponder. Not to mention, it’s always humbling to recognize how steeped our brains are in historical and cultural context — it allows me to take a step back from myself and recognize that most of my mental framework is not as independent and discerning as I’d like to think it is.