In the Shadow of Spengler

John O'Loughlin first got the curious and even novel idea of writing a number of philosophical dialogues in 1978 from reading the French philosopher Diderot, one of the masters of the genre, and the results, several weeks later, were four fairly lengthy philosophical dialogues, which enabled him to continue developing the dualistic theories begun the previous year (1977) in both 'Between Truth and Illusion' and 'The Illusory Truth'. Their subject-matter ranges from book-collecting as an art form and the morality of films to the influence of astrology on writers and, finally, the curious subject of historical perspectives, or viewing things in the light of their times rather than through a contemporary lens. Although they tend to be a little one-sided in their didactic intent, these dialogues, which have also been published under the title 'A Question of Belief', are at least broad enough to be of some interest to the general reader and represent considerable progress, both stylistically and thematically, beyond the slight play-like pieces contained in 'A Magnanimous Offer' (1976), the author's first collection of short prose. The six essays also included in this composite project which, like the dialogues, have also been published independently under the title 'The Fall of Love' (1979) for the sake of satisfying the purist, signify a transitional stage away from the dualism of the above-mentioned works towards the Spenglerian historicism that, with the quasi-Marxist influence of environment upon the rise and fall of civilizations, was to characterize Mr O'Loughlin's literary work at around this period, influencing his choice of title. Subjects discussed in such a pessimistic if not fatalistic light include literature, music, meditation, art, environment, and love, but much of what is unique to this author's way of thinking still shines through the murk of historical pessimism.