Reflections on the Self

If read closely, this can be a terrifying book. Just as Socrates and Descartes rattled their contemporaries by questioning received wisdom, J. Krishnamurti dispenses with all authority, insisting that each individual find the truth within. And when all conditioned ideas and learned notions are swept away (no falling back on “Plato said this” or “Jesus said that”), nothing is left but the trembling, vulnerable self. Edited by philosophy professor Raymond Martin, this is the first work of Krishnamurtis that has been prepared for a critical reading. As such, it delves into the most basic issues of self-knowledge and identification with the external world–fear, pride, happiness, and most of all, freedom. But be careful, because if Krishnamurtis reasoning is followed with utmost sincerity, you may find your intellectual crutches turned to rubble at your feet.