Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas That Have Shaped Our World Views

As Tarnas charts the development of Western thought from the ancient Greeks' ``archaic mythological consciousness'' to Stanislav Grof's depth psychology, which ``ratifies Jung's archetypal perspective on a new level,'' interactions among religion, science and philosophy continuously emerge. Former director of education at Esalen Institute, the author identifies such signposts in this evolutionary process as the Greek Sophists' systematic doubting of belief, the Platonic revival of the Renaissance and modern philosophy's ``transfer of allegiance from religion to science.'' Exposing the ``pervasive masculinity'' of the West's spiritual, cultural and scientific traditions, Tarnas maintains that a ``reintegration of the repressed feminine'' is now possible. An intellectual adventure, this challenging synthesis throws a sharp light on ideas central to the modern outlook. (June)