The Metaphysics of Modern Existence

Description

From the most widely read Native American intellectual comes a book that searches for the structure and meaning of reality. Synthesizing ideas from some of the most eminent philosophers of modern times- ideas that have hitherto been given only a perfunctory examination- Vine Deloria Jr. juxtaposes Native American thinking with Western thought. One of Deloria's most controversial books, The Metaphysics of Modern Existence emphasizes that Native Americans have consistently perceived their realities experientially, confronting the reality of the experience, whereas Westerners often hold academic learning and theories above experience. This difference in perception and thought has had and continues to have very real environmental and political ramifications, not to mention personal and social consequences. Deloria's Metaphysics adroitly answers the often unasked question: what does an Indian think about the modern world. Review: What is reality - The Metaphysics of Modern Existence surveyed a wide range of scientific and religious ideas, social and political theories through the lens of an indigenous scholar. Some of these ideas, like astrology, catastrophism, critics of evolution and plate tectonics maybe challenging for a western educated person to accept, but I think it's good to make inquiries into areas that we take for granted. To create a blueprint to guide people to see what is reality is a tall if not impossible order, but I really appreciate all the questions this book brought out in me and its vision of unifying our scientific and religious knowledge into a fuller, more complete understanding of reality. Review: The most important book you will read by Vine Deloria Jr. - Vine Deloria, Jr., one of the most prolific and perhaps the most important American Indian intellectual in several generations, lays out the blueprint of his life's work in this volume. In this book, Vine Deloria Jr. responds to critics from the academic community of his best known work, God is Red. He challenges their own religiously-kept bias for evolutionary thinking, devotion to "accepted" theories as if they were fact and their control of the academic pursuit of knowledge. He concludes by setting out his own argument that all ways of knowledge should be treated with equal respect and seriousness, whether from Western scientific or traditional native epistemologies. He proposes that they come together in a "mosaic of meaning" that is beneficial for all peoples of the world. Vine Deloria Jr. was named by Time magazine as one of the most important religious thinkers of the 20th century and has been a legendary influence on all of Indian Country, much in the same way that W.E.B. DuBois influenced African American thought. It has been a hard-to-find volume, until know. It's a must read for anyone who become proficient in American Indian intellectual traditions.