The Philosophy of Disenchantment (ePub)

Edgar Saltus is esteemed in the annals of American literature for his unique blend of fin-de-siècle decadence and penetrating philosophical insight. Born on October 8, 1855, in New York City, Saltus emerged from an affluent family to shape a literary career that spanned the late 19th and early 20th centuries. An alumnus of both Columbia College and Columbia Law School, he turned his back on the legal profession to embark on a life of letters, drawing influence from his European travels and the luminaries of French literature. Saltus's oeuvre is undeniably characterized by its erudition, wit, and a certain proclivity towards the themes of cynicism and pessimism, as encapsulated in his notable work, 'The Philosophy of Disenchantment' (1885). This book is considered a seminal text, exploring the bleak vistas of a universe devoid of inherent meaning, and showcases Saltus's articulate prose and intellectual rigor. With a flair for the dramatic and often controversial subject matter, he failed to gain the widespread acclaim of his contemporaries but has since been recognized for his contribution to the American aesthetic movement and his prescient views on existential despair. Though his flamboyant style fell out of favor with the shifting tides of literary tastes, Saltus's work remains a testament to a writer devoted to exploring the darker corners of the human condition.