Does the Universe Have a Soul?

by Michael Gold, Carly Shooster (illustrator)

What is the role of mind or consciousness in the universe? Are mind and matter, body and soul, two separate substances as taught by Plato and the great religions of the West? If so, how do these two substances interact? Does the universe consist of matter in motion, as taught by most contemporary scientists and philosophers? If so, how does mind emerge? Or is mind the ultimate reality, as taught by the great religions of the East, many mystics, and as suggested by quantum theory? If so, what is matter? Join us on this intellectual journey from the Bible and the ancient Greeks, through modern philosophy, to contemporary science and the insights of kabbalah or Jewish mysticism.

155 pages, Hardcover

Published January 9, 2024

About the author

Mike Gold was the nom de plume of Itzok Isaac Granich. He was born on the Lower East Side of New York City to Romanian Jewish parents in 1894. His poverty stricken upbringing led him to radical politics and he took the name Mike Gold during the oppressive Palmer Raids of the twenties. Gold was a founding editor of The New Masses and worked as a columnist for the Communist Party newspaper, The Daily Worker from 1933 until his death in 1967. His only novel, Jews without Money, published in 1930, was an immediate success and is considered the prototype of the American proletarian novel.

Reviews

[Michael Shoemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Wealth of Knowledge!

This is a clear, informative, and insightful presentation of philosophical ideas. The author does a particularly good job of distinguishing between how the Bible, Plato, Aristotle, and Descartes view the soul. I liked the thought experiments because they got me thinking about what my concept of the soul is. It has a respectful tone and is a good introductory book for inquiring adults.