An Introduction to Personalism: Abstract

by Benjamin Wilkinson

Personalism has been one of the most fruitful endeavors on the contemporary philosophical scene. But while much has been written about the individual personalist philosophers, few studies exist about the personalist movement as a whole. Introduction to personalism is a book to fill that gap.

The tragedies of two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the totalitarian regimes of the 1930s are the historical context in which personalism arose. Juan Manuel Burgos shows the reader how personalist philosophers responded to these horrific events through a revitalization of the concept of person, developing a philosophy both rooted in the best of the intellectual tradition and capable of dialoguing with the vanguard of contemporary thought.

Burgos then delves into the potent ideas of more than twenty thinkers who have contributed to the growth of personalism. The reader will find such distinguished names as Maritain, Mounier, von Hildebrand, Wojtyła, Guardini, Marcel, Stein, Buber, Levinas, Zubiri, and Polanyi. Burgos’ encyclopedic knowledge of recent philosophy allows for a concise and well-rounded perspective on each of the personalists studied.

Introduction to personalism concludes with a synthesis of personalist thought, bringing together the brightest insights of each personalist philosopher into an organic whole. Burgos argues that personalism is not an eclectic hodge-podge, but a full-fledged school of philosophy, and he proves it through a dynamic and rigorous exposition of the key features of the personalist position.

Our times are marked by numerous and often contradictory ideas about the human person. Introduction to personalism presents an engaging anthropological vision capable of taking the lead in the debate about the meaning of human existence and winning hearts and minds for the cause of the dignity of each and every person in the 21^st century and beyond. If you want to join the effort, this is the book for you.