In The Life of the Mind, Georgetown University's James V. Schall takes up the ta
sk of reminding us that, as human beings, we naturally take a special delight an
d pleasure in simply knowing. Because we have not only bodies but also minds, we
are built to know what is. In this volume, Schall, author of On the Unseriousne
ss of Human Affairs (ISI Books), among many other volumes of philosophical and p
olitical reflection, discusses the various ways of approaching the delight of th
inking and the way that this delight begins in seeing and hearing and even in ma
king and walking. We must be attentive to and cultivate the needs of the mind, a
rgues Schall, for it is through our intellect that all that is not ourselves is
finally returned to us, allowing us to live in the light of truth.
