Reviews

"Freddie" Ayer (1910-1989) "was like an eighteenth-century rationalist voluptuary," one of his former students once recalled. Oxford historian of philosophy Rogers (Pascal: In Praise of Vanity) captures both aspects of the notable philosopher who believed in a life well livedDand asked that the song "Oh, What a Beautiful Doll" be played at his funeralDbut the frenetic voluptuary is much more vivid (Rogers identifies 30 of Ayer's mistresses, almost all by name, including gossip columnist Sheilah Graham) than the exponent of reason. Ayer came from wealthy families on both sides, went to the best schools and knew the beautiful and best-connected people. Precociously clever and narcissistically bent, he was "remote," Rogers concedes, "from some of the more ordinary human emotions." Yet his Language, Truth and Logic, published when he was only 25, achieved cult status among English intellectuals who admired his militant empiricism and rejection of what he saw as fashionable cant. His books were often as audacious as his womanizing, and identified nonsense where others perceived truth (Ayer maintained that philosophy "cannot discover anything about the world; only empirical science can do that"). He gained a gadfly reputation for his brilliance as a precise and accessible talker and writer. Rogers skillfully evokes Ayer's personality and life but finds it much more difficult to explain him as a philosopher with a lasting message. The publisher quotes Alain de Botton's praise for this biography in England's Sunday Mail and it may garner fine reviews here as well, but despite the raciness of Ayer's life, the primary audience for this volume will be found only among serious students of 20th-century philosophy. Illus. not seen by PW. Agent, Kris Dahl, ICM. (Oct. 20) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

For those who picture philosophers as otherworldly creatures with no lives of their own outside of the classroom, this biography will come as a pleasant surprise. Ayer (1910-89) lived an exciting, even glamorous life. Rogers, who has a doctorate in the history of philosophy from Ayer's university, Oxford, traces his life in intimate detail. Not only was Ayer a prolific writerDmaking a name for himself with his first book on logical positivism at age 26 and continuing to write and publish to the end of his lifeDbut he also found time to marry four times, have numerous extramarital affairs, do war-time service on several continents, lecture often at American universities, and meet and get to know most of the celebrated figures of the era. In addition to learning about Ayer's life, the reader will find a nice explication of Ayer's philosophical thinking as it evolved over the years. This book is essential for all philosophy collections, but it is so interesting that it would be a valuable addition to all public library biography sections.DLeon H. Brody, U.S. Office of Personnel Management Lib., Washington, DC Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.