Rationalism and D. H. Lawrence : a 21st century perspective

Abstract

Since the time of the Greek philosopher Plato, Western intellectuals have relied on logos or "the word" to make philosophical propositions about the world humans find themselves in. Logos or "the word" has generally been privileged over mythos or pathos, denoting emotion and feeling. This privileging has sometimes been challenged by intellectuals within the Western tradition. D. H. Lawrence was the most vocal and passionate writer to do so in modern times. This text traces the development of rationalism in the Western tradition and Lawrence's resistance to it. It also examines modern theoretical developments and notes their convergence with Lawrence's ideas. It concludes by claiming that the postmodern intellectual climate in the West tends towards a critique of rationalism, much like Lawrence.