Friday 6 September 2019

Has William Arkle influenced you significantly? Let me know, please

I am currently writing an introduction for the first re-publication of William Arkle's A Geography of Consciousness since it was originally issued 45 years ago. (There are also plans for a second volume of his other writings such as Equations of Being, Letter from a Father and The Hologram and Mind.)

I will announce specific details when the book is ready to buy.

The publisher of this venture discovered Arkle via my blog, most of the content of which first appeared here. So you readers have been instrumental in this encouraging development.

Therefore, I would be interested to know how many of you there are who have found Arkle to be a significant beneficial influence in their lives, since we are probably at the vanguard of his rediscovery.

Please let me know if you are one of this number. Thanks!

7 comments:

Francis Berger said...

I have only read GOC and some of the material you have posted over the years, but based on that alone I count myself among those who have benefited from Arkle's work. His explanations of The Will vs will power, the True Self/false selves, the Divine and friendship, and the spiritual importance of family have all left deep impressions.

ted said...

I have appreciated how you exposed his work on this blog, and I do believe the language he uses gets us closer to your notion of Romantic Christianity. I've noticed that Owen Barfield's work is beginning to gain some popularity, and maybe Arkle is next.

Jared said...

Very few of even the best philosophical authors succeed in sounding like an approachable person sitting down for a fireside chat with you. Arkle succeeds at this, and most of what he says is surprising because it is surprisingly true. Arkle had a profound impact in my life at a time when I needed to see the way forward in how to talk to my Creator, where he (Arkle) showed a way to interact with God that was at once rational and creative.
Thanks. Bruce!

S.K. Orr said...

Francis, Ted, and Jared all made comments that are similar to my feelings about Arkle. You were my introduction to this compelling man and his writings, Bruce, and I'm grateful. Absorbing Arkle's thoughts, especially through your blog dedicated to his work, has helped me in a number of ways, most notably in removing the blinders that kept me from seeing my Father as deeply INTERESTED in me. That single thing has been invaluable to me.

Bruce Charlton said...

Francis, ted, Jared and SK - thanks very much; I've also had responses via e-mail. This is all very useful to me.

Lucinda said...

I don’t like the speediness of the internet, since I’m a somewhat slow reader and thinker. I wanted to say something great here. But really I’m very pragmatic about philosophy. I think that’s why William Arkles philosophy appeals to me. I had on my list of things to do to format and print out some of what you’d put up at your Arkle blog, since I really don’t like to read on the computer, and I thought it would help me read contemplatively, and slowly, in a back and forth kind of way.
Thank you to whoever is making it a book!

Bruce Charlton said...

@Lucinda - It is Joseph Cornejo to whom thanks are due; he has started a publisher called Sunwise Books - sunwisebooks.com . In working on this Introduction (while Joseph is typesetting and editing the main text) I have been impressed by Joseph's care and attention to detail. The books he has published so far are available in paperback at an affordable price - and even more cheaply as e-books.