The Glory of Life

Book review on

The lotus and the mud

by Henryk Skolimowski (2010)

Reviewed by David Lorimer, 2011 published in Network Review No 106

It is now 30 years since the publication of Henryk's pioneering book on eco-philosophy, which he has been extending and elaborating ever since, culminating in his most recent work about light. This fascinating autobiography charts his life and the evolution of his thinking, providing a rounded self-portrait, which, as the publisher observes, represents 'a life of courage, integrity, vision and substance.' Henryk celebrated his 80th birthday last year with a small group of friends, and I was privileged to be present. His story begins with the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, depicted in graphic and shattering detail. He lost both his brother and his mother during the war - his mother contracted typhoid from caring for her own mother. Partly as a result of there being no glass in the windows of their classroom during the winter of 1945, Henryk discovered the public library, where all the windows were intact.

It was the beginning of his epic intellectual and spiritual journey, asking himself the perennial questions, what is a man and what is human destiny? He describes his excitement at discovering Plutarch, French and Russian literature, ancient Greek literature then, crucially, Plato. He also read books on psychology, delving into the ideas of Freud, Jung and Adler. Music also played an important part of his life, as did theatre. He had to show himself competent in Marxist philosophy and describes an oral examination where he quoted at ever greater length from a recent work by Stalin, obliging the examiner to give him an 'excellent' grade. Gradually, he was able to read philosophy under the guidance of distinguished Polish philosophers, especially to Tadeusz Kotarbinski. He found his way out of the cage by winning competitions that enabled him to attend conferences abroad. He won first prize in an essay competition in spite of the fact that it would not please the Marxists in Moscow. This provided him with his first international platform, where he presented in both English and Russian. Here he found that 'courage and a certain fierceness are indispensable for a philosopher worthy of his salt.'

In his next chapter, Henry describes his experiences in Oxford from 1959, firstly at St Antony's College with Sir William Deakin and then with Sir Freddy Ayer and Lord Anthony Quinton at New College. He captures the spirit of Oxford embodied in these men and in Sir Isaiah Berlin, with whom he had many conversations, although Henryk did most of the listening and Sir Isaiah most of the talking. He writes that Oxford conversation is lively and scintillating, but more often sparkling than profound - brilliant, independent and slightly flippant. Later on, he compares the minds of Sir Isaiah and Sir Karl Popper, with whom he also had seminars. Popper's intellect was penetrating like a drill, while Berlin was scintillating, continually bursting with ever-new effervescent flowers, jumping from one subject to another in a movable feast of ideas. With Popper, you had to discuss his ideas, and on one occasion Henryk criticised his idea of approximation to truth as implying the relativity of truth, which provoked an explosion on Popper's part. It was about this time that Thomas Kuhn published The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, and Henryk witnessed Popper criticising the book before he had even read it.

From Oxford, Henryk moved on to Los Angeles, where found the flower children and the swinging 60s - it was here that he gradually came to the conclusion that something had gone badly wrong with Western civilisation, and that this was based on secular assumptions laid down in the 17th century. He also had experiences in the Arizona desert, spent time at a Kibbutz, went to Findhorn and Auroville, and later to Dartington. He had a direct encounter with the failed utopia of communism and more generally with capitalism, both of which he thinks have failed for the same reason as different versions of crass materialism. This goes some way to explaining why he was exploring the potential of alternative lifestyles and communities as different forms of social organisation. He devotes the next chapter to a more extended discussion of the assumptions underlying what he sees as the decay of Western civilisation. This includes reconstructed dialogues drawn from conversations that many conferences focusing on the nature of scientific rationality and objectivity.

Other key influences have been people he met, including Fritz Schumacher, The Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and the Saint of Kanchipuram. This leads him to ask about the function of saints, who demonstrate indomitable courage and fierce determination not to succumb to ordinary life. For Henryk, they represent the terminus of human development as embodiments of freedom, simplicity, peace, serenity and radiance. There are people who have transformed themselves into their potential divinity, selflessly serving others. India and especially the Himalayas have exerted a profound influence on his life, partly owing to the spiritual background of the culture but also the sheer grandeur and beauty of the mountains. They encourage us to enlarge our vision and extend our limits, giving us a sense of infinity and greatness that puts our ordinary lives into perspective. I can recognise this effect from the Bulgarian Rila Mountains. In the forests, he discovers people with a reverential attitude to the sacredness of nature, which he later expresses in his own philosophy. In India, he writes, a person of spiritual aspirations does not have to apologise for his existence - hence his feeling of being at home.

Towards the end of the book, he explains his philosophy of light, which he also seeks to express in his marble sculptures. Here he coins the new and expansive terms of Lumenology as the most comprehensive knowledge of light and Lumenarchy to signify the power and glory of Light. This leads to an attitude of enthusiasm and celebration at the glory of light and life. Interested readers are referred to his recent book Let There Be Light, reviewed here last year. The last chapter includes a new article reflecting on his philosophical legacy, following a path from his critique of technology to eco-philosophy. He has written a series of books articulating this new philosophy as well as a new language and preparing the ground for what he sees as the resurrection of Socratic living wisdom philosophy, reminding us that humans are or can be cosmic beings rather than selfish individuals. The book concludes with a series of photographs and an exhortation that we should seek out wisdom rather than information, light rather than technology. It is an inspiring life and an inspiring message, encouraging readers on a path of both expansion and depth. The book demonstrates how Henryk has made a significant contribution to Western culture in a lifetime devoted to living philosophy. I should also mention his new book of poetry, Celebrating Light and Hope, which contains many beautiful poems, expressing his philosophy in another form.