An anthology of the most important and representative passages in Hagger’s innovatory literary, philosophical and historical writings, chosen by the author.
An anthology of the most important and representative passages in Hagger’s innovatory literary, philosophical and historical writings, chosen by the author.
Essays, Literary collections (general), Metaphysics
In A Baroque Vision Nicholas Hagger chose key passages from his verse that convey the thread of his Baroque vision. In its companion volume The Essentials of Universalism he chooses key passages from his prose works that convey the thread of his Universalism, which grew out of his Baroque perspective.
Hagger’s literary, mystical, religious, philosophical, historical, cultural and political Universalist writings are innovatory. In 60 books he has: set out a new approach to literature and identified its fundamental theme as a quest for the One, an infinite Reality perceived as Light, that alternates with condemnation of social follies and vices; presented many mystics’ illuminations; seen the Light as the common essence of all religions; created a new philosophy of Universalism that restates the unity of the universe and challenges modern philosophy; charted the history of the rise and fall of civilisations; reconciled the divisions within world culture; and proposed a democratic World State with limited supranational power to abolish war and bring in a Golden Age of peace and prosperity.
The Essentials of Universalism is a stunning anthology of his writings that covers all aspects of his thinking and range. Chosen by the author himself, the excerpts include the most important passages in the Hagger canon and are representative of his vast output. Since the book was completed Hagger has brought out The Algorithm of Creation, the first-ever statement of a Theory of Everything and a further development of his Universalism.This anthology makes clear the main thrust of his life’s work and is required reading for all interested in seeing how his many innovations connect.
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How much William James would have supported all those who value the quality and range of a truly comprehensive modern awareness as Nicholas Hagger does. ~ Sir Laurens van der Post
Praise for The Light of Civilization: An extraordinary book. ~ David Gascoyne
Brilliant! ~ Nexus
The scope of Hagger's book is immense. Universalism is a call to a philosopher to abandon the specialisms (in particular logic and language) and to attempt, once again, the kind of Grand Unified Theory of Everything that has marked the discipline from the beginning. Universalism has the potentiality to be as potent a movement in the 21st century as Existentialism was in the post-war world. ~ Christopher Macann, Lecturer in philosophy at the University of Bordeaux, author of Being and Becoming
In this magisterial work Nicholas Hagger unites the rational and intuitive strands of Western philosophy in the light of the latest findings from physics, cosmology, biology, ecology and psychology. His in-depth exposition of these sciences and their philosophical implications is breathtaking in scope and detail and fully justifies his declaration of a Metaphysical Revolution, which also has profound consequences for our understanding of world affairs. This is one of the most important philosophical books to appear since Whitehead's "Process and Reality" eighty years ago and deserves the widest possible readership. A stupendous achievement. ~ David Lorimer, Programme Director, Scientific and Medical Network
He hits a pace, a tilt, that really carries the reader along...Everything comes as a subordinate clause to his dramatic momentum, a hand waving out of the express train window. ~ Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate
His poetic felicities include a poetic mix of Eliot, Pound and Blake; the judicious invention of his own psychological terms to guide his progress; an unafraid nakedness, linked to philosophic and scientific adventurousness; genuine visionary leanings and occasional lyric beauty. ~ Sebastian Barker, past chairman of The Poetry Society
Nicholas Hagger writes with a rare intellectual passion. ~ Sir Laurens van der Post
