Rush and Philosophy

Rush and Philosophy: Heart and Mind United
edited by Jim Berti and Durrell Bowman
New Book Shelves-Upper Level - 100 P

I’m a big Rush fan. Huge, actually. One of the best things about Rush, besides the mind-blowing musicianship of it all, is the lyrics and the messages within the songs. Whether you agree with their ideals or not, Rush songs are interesting. There are political and religious messages in their lyrics, and commentary on humanity. Their songs are smart.

I haven’t read it cover to cover, but that’s one of the best things about this book (and this kind of book in general): it is a compilation of essays written by philosophers, philosophy professors, and other “big thinkers.” You can open at random and read any essay independently.

One of my favorites so far is called “A Heart and Mind United.” It’s about the album Hemipsheres from 1978, and specifically the song “Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres”. The song is about the two sides of man: the practical and the passionate, and how human nature strives to balance the two. The essay compares the story told in the song to a philosophical idea called “the hard problem.” The hard problem talks about two sides of man too: we’re made of physical “stuff,” but unlike robots, we can experience and feel – and explain those feelings.

Of course, there’s a lot more to the essay and the principle than I have time or space for here…so read the book! It’s not dense or overly academic. The essays definitely require attention and thought, but some of them are kind of funny and the authors have injected personality – and their love of Rush – into them.