The Press: The Lowest Depths

Today's thin-skinned press takes offense at the slightest criticism from President Johnson or anybody else. But what if it had to contend with a contemporary Soren Kierkegaard? Incensed by vicious newspaper attacks on his personal beliefs and eccentricities, the great 19th century Danish philosopher flayed the press both aloud and in his journals, the final volume of which is now available in English (The Last Years: Journals 1853-55; Harper & Row; $6.95). Sample scorchers:

ΒΆ "The daily press is the evil principle of the modern world, and time will only serve to disclose this fact with greater and greater clearness. The capacity...

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