The Philosophy of T. S. Eliot : From Skepticism to a Surrealist Poetic, 1909-1927

T. S. Eliot's mind encompasses just about every important avant-garde intellectual movement of his time. His thought, as well as his poetry, represents an essential and original achievement within Modernism. This study presents Eliot's unique synthesis of contemporary philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and studies in mysticism, and demonstrates how it is responsible for the nature of his religious belief, the basic tenets of his literary theory, and the figurative, structural, and dramatic aspects of his verse, pervading virtually everything he wrote throughout his life. The chapters are Skepticism, Mysticism, The Unconscious, Primitive Experience, Mythic Consciousness, and A Surrealist Poetic. Contents Abbreviations and Texts Acknowledgments Introduction I. Skepticism II. Mysticism III. The Unconscious IV. Primitive Experience V. Mythic Consciousness VI. A Surrealist Poetic Notes Index of Works by T. S. Eliot Index of Names and Terms