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Books

What is Philosophy?

A review by Paul St. John Mackintosh.

I will spare you the time and trouble of reading Hildebrand’s book, or even this article, by giving you his answer to the title question straight off: “Philosophy fulfils its highest mission by levelling the way for religion, by preparing for it and serving it. Philosophical knowledge has its climax in the knowledge of the existence of God and of His attributes as grasped by the natural light of reason”. There you are. Prejudice or insight may now already have turned you away from Hildebrand (or even turned you toward him); but believe me, you need go no further than to know this. However, I will put in my quota of words by setting out how, and why, a man was making such statements in 1960.

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