William Irwin Thompson
William Irwin Thompson
#### A 20th-Century Philosopher, Critic, and Environmentalist
Full Name and Common Aliases
William Irwin Thompson was born on December 16, 1938, in Rochester, New York. He is often referred to by his pen name, I.W. (Irwin) Thompson.
Birth and Death Dates
December 16, 1938 – September 21, 2016
Nationality and Profession(s)
Thompson was an American philosopher, literary critic, historian of ideas, and environmentalist. He was a prolific writer and published numerous books on philosophy, literature, politics, and ecology.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Rochester, Thompson developed an interest in the arts and humanities from a young age. His family encouraged his love for reading and writing. After completing high school, he attended Kenyon College, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature in 1960. He went on to earn his Master's degree in English Literature from Yale University in 1961.
Major Accomplishments
Thompson was a prominent figure in the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s. His work spanned various fields, including philosophy, literature, politics, and ecology. He is known for his critiques of modernity, capitalism, and technological advancements. Some of his notable accomplishments include:
The Imagination of an Insurrection (1963): Thompson's first book, which addressed the role of imagination in social change.
At the Edge of History (1967): A collection of essays on contemporary politics, culture, and philosophy.
Passages About Earth: An Exploration of the New Planetary Era (1974): A work that explored the intersections between ecology, technology, and human society.Notable Works or Actions
Thompson's writing often blended philosophy, history, literature, and science. Some notable works include:
_The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light_ (2001), a philosophical exploration of time, space, and consciousness.
_Darkness and Scattered Light: The Troubled Heart of the Postmodern World_ (1997), a critique of postmodernism and its implications.Impact and Legacy
Thompson's work has had a significant impact on various fields, including environmental studies, philosophy, and literary criticism. His critiques of modernity and capitalism continue to influence contemporary thought and activism.Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
William Irwin Thompson is widely quoted and remembered for his:
Insightful critiques of modern society, technology, and the role of human imagination in shaping the world.
Pioneering work on environmentalism and ecological thinking, which predated contemporary debates on climate change.
Unique blend of philosophy, literature, and history, which has influenced generations of scholars and thinkers.
Quotes by William Irwin Thompson
If you do not create your destiny, you will have your fate inflicted upon you.
It should be possible to say that there really is such as thing as “genius” and that what it is, is precisely a surprising and unexpected movement away from collective patterns of behavior and received wisdom.
The teacher of history’s work should be, ideally, not simply a description of past cultures, but a performance of the culture in which we live and are increasingly taking our being.
Like a shadow that does not permit us to jump over it, but moves with us to maintain its proper distance, pollution is nature’s answer to culture. When we have learned to recycle pollution into potent information, we will have passed over completely into the new cultural ecology.
I don’t think anyone now really understands the planetisation of mankind, really understands the new world order emerging through all this period of strain and pain and contradiction, so more than ever, we need to have an internal sense of navigation.
If humans died in a healthy culture, they would not lock out the earth in metal coffins and carve their names on stone monuments, but would instead place the naked body in the earth and plant a tree above the silent heart.
It should be possible to say that there really is such as thing as "genius" and that what it is, is precisely a surprising and unexpected movement away from collective patterns of behavior and received wisdom.
Like a shadow that does not permit us to jump over it, but moves with us to maintain its proper distance, pollution is nature's answer to culture. When we have learned to recycle pollution into potent information, we will have passed over completely into the new cultural ecology.
But the time has come; the revelation has already occurred, and the guardian seers have seen the lightning strike the darkness we call reality. And now we sleep in the brief interval between the lightning and the thunder.