Abstract

This book is a thorough reworking of the author's 1971 dissertation at Boston University, thus reading like a well-crafted monograph. It is the first such work devoted to the thought of Wild, an important and influential American philosopher in his day but now largely forgotten. Kaufman attempts to show the significance of Wild's thought, especially for the current philosophical interest in the realm of interpersonal relations. Indeed, Wild was one of the first American philosophers to appreciate the work of Emmanuel Levinas, who is the subject of much current philosophical attention. The book presents a lucid portrayal of Wild's philosophical development, with a constant eye to its present relevance.