This book attempts to push intelligence and articulation as far as possible into the stuff of what so many philosophers set aside as subjectivity. It is an impassioned critique of the idea of an unbridgeable gap between the emotive and the cognitive--and in its own way, represents a major thrust at positivist analysis.

Written in the context of personal tragedy as well as intellectual search, the book is grounded in the belief that human experience is enclosed within a person to person relationship with the source of all things--sometimes in community and courage. It is written with deep fidelity to classical Catholic thought, as well as a sense of the writings of sociology, anthropology, and political theory--from Harold Lasswell to Friedrich von Hayek.

Michael Novak is the George Frederick Jewett Scholar in Religion, Philosophy, and Public Policy at AEI.