Beyond the Cave

Aptly subtitled 'a philosopher's quest for Truth', this is a definitive and forthright philosophical statement from a former vice-principal of Heythrop College in the University of London. It is a robust defence of Truth rooted in transcendent reality and a powerful riposte to post-modernism, relativism, fundamentalism and scientism, affirming that our deep purpose is to live a life of courage, integrity and compassion, grounded in the virtues. For many years, the author was a member of the London Society for the Study of Religions, founded by Baron von Hugel and Claude Montefiore in 1904. The founding statement refers to the importance of spiritual insight and vitality linked to peace of soul, but he left this group in 2017 when he felt it had become a talking shop and had itself succumbed to the rising tides of modernism. The book brings readers back to the perennial philosophical questions.

It is set out in two parts: the descent into the cave and rekindling the flame. The first part takes readers through the history of western philosophy and the idea of absolute Truth rooted in the Eternal. It explains the religious imperative in the context of the rise of atheism, especially in its latest form of expression. The discussion here is exceptionally clear and well-informed. The author moves on to explain the significance of a post-truth world and raises fundamental questions about artificial intelligence and the future of humanity. He sees the near collapse of the importance of Truth as 'linked to a lack of interest and what it means to be human', which also impacts on the structure of education. The rest of the book is devoted to a detailed consideration of such topics as the nature of argument and reality, explanation and potentiality, possibility and necessity (free will), and the relevance of the Eternal. Readers looking for a deeper understanding of how we arrived at our modern predicament and how to move beyond it will find this eloquent articulation compelling and informative - we need more thinkers like Vardy intelligently expressing their views on these essential topics. These are culturally vital matters, as the author's engagement with Kierkegaard also indicates, and provide us with a meaningful orientation that is largely missing.