Scan barcode
jamieh2024's review
3.0
Hmmm...while there was much I thought was intriguing about this book and its premise, at times it seemed a bit more histrionic about some of the worst results of man's quest for knowledge. Though I do have to agree about de Sade's work, it has no particular value to people in general and just celebrates the basest of human drives and revels in the torture and degradation of others in order to achieve sexual fulfillment.
I also have trouble believing that Eichmann set up the Lebensborn program and instituted its practices because he didn't realize the profound moral boundaries he was blundering across. I believe that is entirely too succinct an explanation and way too pat a device. On some level he had realize that to carry on these genetic experimantation was going to impact the human race at some level.
I hate that people now rely on the fact that evil is in essence, "stupid", and sometimes is just the result of someone not thinking through the results of their particular actions upon other people.I tend to believe that evil is more often a choice made to do what you want and damn the consequences for others.
A warning: The chapter dealing with pornography, most especially the chapter on de Sade, is extremely graphic in nature. There is even a warning at the beginning of the book telling of the inclusion of some materials from de Sade to let parents and educators know that this is a book that should be read by a mature audience.
I also have trouble believing that Eichmann set up the Lebensborn program and instituted its practices because he didn't realize the profound moral boundaries he was blundering across. I believe that is entirely too succinct an explanation and way too pat a device. On some level he had realize that to carry on these genetic experimantation was going to impact the human race at some level.
I hate that people now rely on the fact that evil is in essence, "stupid", and sometimes is just the result of someone not thinking through the results of their particular actions upon other people.I tend to believe that evil is more often a choice made to do what you want and damn the consequences for others.
A warning: The chapter dealing with pornography, most especially the chapter on de Sade, is extremely graphic in nature. There is even a warning at the beginning of the book telling of the inclusion of some materials from de Sade to let parents and educators know that this is a book that should be read by a mature audience.
gosurori's review
1.0
This book gets one star from me only because whenever it criticized a publication, it ended up in my reading list. I am a believer in freedom and the distinction of arts and science. I do not believe that the line is too thin. I do believe that there are immensely crooked governments in the world. Some (mostly medical) limitations are fine, if they are proven by science.
In short, this book showed me the other camp, which I should know about if I'm going to have a strong case of my own. It also taught me some new books by [a:Madame de La Fayette|7373225|Madame de La Fayette|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1383530815p2/7373225.jpg], [a:Algernon Charles Swinburne|38634|Algernon Charles Swinburne|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1236354754p2/38634.jpg], [a:Georges Bataille|20842|Georges Bataille|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1287941328p2/20842.jpg] and a couple more. I also turned back to reading [b:Juliette|314240|Juliette|Marquis de Sade|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347430455s/314240.jpg|3188244] and [b:Justine|796267|Justine|Marquis de Sade|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1178444302s/796267.jpg|13268607]by [a:Marquis de Sade|2885224|Marquis de Sade|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1388547600p2/2885224.jpg] (which are works of fiction).
If the "young and the ill-advised" are to be affected negatively by literature, educate the families and teachers. How can we be expected to change the world so that it does not motivate Ted Bundy? I mean, come on, a serial rapist and killer blamed pornography and we should take him seriously? I don't think so.
In short, this book showed me the other camp, which I should know about if I'm going to have a strong case of my own. It also taught me some new books by [a:Madame de La Fayette|7373225|Madame de La Fayette|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1383530815p2/7373225.jpg], [a:Algernon Charles Swinburne|38634|Algernon Charles Swinburne|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1236354754p2/38634.jpg], [a:Georges Bataille|20842|Georges Bataille|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1287941328p2/20842.jpg] and a couple more. I also turned back to reading [b:Juliette|314240|Juliette|Marquis de Sade|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347430455s/314240.jpg|3188244] and [b:Justine|796267|Justine|Marquis de Sade|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1178444302s/796267.jpg|13268607]by [a:Marquis de Sade|2885224|Marquis de Sade|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1388547600p2/2885224.jpg] (which are works of fiction).
If the "young and the ill-advised" are to be affected negatively by literature, educate the families and teachers. How can we be expected to change the world so that it does not motivate Ted Bundy? I mean, come on, a serial rapist and killer blamed pornography and we should take him seriously? I don't think so.
sgabriele2123's review
1.0
It took me a while to get through this due to periodically tossing it aside in exasperation- he’s basically an apologist for censorship. In the interest of full disclosure the title should be: “Forbidden Knowledge - that ‘I’ Think Should Stay That Way!” That’s always the thorny problem - WHO gets to decide. Well, The time of stodgy, priggish white men censoring based on what they personally disapprove of is over.
jch2022's review
3.0
Hmmm...while there was much I thought was intriguing about this book and its premise, at times it seemed a bit more histrionic about some of the worst results of man's quest for knowledge. Though I do have to agree about de Sade's work, it has no particular value to people in general and just celebrates the basest of human drives and revels in the torture and degradation of others in order to achieve sexual fulfillment.
I also have trouble believing that Eichmann set up the Lebensborn program and instituted its practices because he didn't realize the profound moral boundaries he was blundering across. I believe that is entirely too succinct an explanation and way too pat a device. On some level he had realize that to carry on these genetic experimantation was going to impact the human race at some level.
I hate that people now rely on the fact that evil is in essence, "stupid", and sometimes is just the result of someone not thinking through the results of their particular actions upon other people.I tend to believe that evil is more often a choice made to do what you want and damn the consequences for others.
A warning: The chapter dealing with pornography, most especially the chapter on de Sade, is extremely graphic in nature. There is even a warning at the beginning of the book telling of the inclusion of some materials from de Sade to let parents and educators know that this is a book that should be read by a mature audience.
I also have trouble believing that Eichmann set up the Lebensborn program and instituted its practices because he didn't realize the profound moral boundaries he was blundering across. I believe that is entirely too succinct an explanation and way too pat a device. On some level he had realize that to carry on these genetic experimantation was going to impact the human race at some level.
I hate that people now rely on the fact that evil is in essence, "stupid", and sometimes is just the result of someone not thinking through the results of their particular actions upon other people.I tend to believe that evil is more often a choice made to do what you want and damn the consequences for others.
A warning: The chapter dealing with pornography, most especially the chapter on de Sade, is extremely graphic in nature. There is even a warning at the beginning of the book telling of the inclusion of some materials from de Sade to let parents and educators know that this is a book that should be read by a mature audience.
christhedoll's review
3.0
a look at man's quest for knowledge and the taboos against it. He's more conservative than me in that I don't think there is such a thing as too much knowledge but I enjoyed reading it none the less.
spjuver's review against another edition
4.0
A very interesting read. I like the way in which Shattuck tries to divide knowledge into six different categories and his categories feel generally applicable to knowledge, and applicably in various areas.
I did not know much about Sade before reading this, but the chapter about him – alongside the debate about whether or not to censor certain kinds of knowledge – is an enlightening and rewarding one. I was kind of longing for a comparison to American Psycho (which, I was glad to see, made a (too) short appearance in the end). Those kind of books are something else, and they might have something to teach humanity about the innermost, hidden depths that might exist within; but maybe that knowledge just is not fit for everyone to take part of. Even though I would like to think that everyone should learn as much as possible, maybe there is some things that is better left for a certain group of people (scholars or such, not any kind of "elite" ((even though that might be a tautology)). We never know what might get triggered by anything.
I did not know much about Sade before reading this, but the chapter about him – alongside the debate about whether or not to censor certain kinds of knowledge – is an enlightening and rewarding one. I was kind of longing for a comparison to American Psycho (which, I was glad to see, made a (too) short appearance in the end). Those kind of books are something else, and they might have something to teach humanity about the innermost, hidden depths that might exist within; but maybe that knowledge just is not fit for everyone to take part of. Even though I would like to think that everyone should learn as much as possible, maybe there is some things that is better left for a certain group of people (scholars or such, not any kind of "elite" ((even though that might be a tautology)). We never know what might get triggered by anything.
More...