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Date: 10/18/2018
CHICOPEE – Sean Goonan describes himself as an “armchair philosopher” and his book “The Foundation for Exploration” has been receiving some attention from readers.
The Chicopee native recently appeared at an Authors Fair at the Springfield Central Library and spoke to Reminder Publishing about his book.
The book has received good reviews from readers on its Amazon page. One reader wrote, “I was not sure how to feel about this book before I gave it a few hours of my time. It covers a lot of things that are looked over in today’s paradigm in academia. As a recent college grad it is good to see someone stick their neck out and write about the way things are in the real world with REAL people.”
Another reader wrote, “An all-in-one antidote to cure a diseased world. The ills of modern society are attacked at their root origin.”
On an on-line philosophy forum one person wrote, “’The Foundation’ is the next big thing in philosophy. Something raw like this has been needed for years. Goonan holds no punches and is not afraid to explore uncomfortable and controversial subjects that may seem removed from philosophy yet are incredibly important and connected. This is the future of philosophy.”
Goonan said that he studied economics for three years and then needed a change. While working on a farm in Maine, where he lived alone, he started thinking and writing. He originally published the book in November 2016 but have “made some edits since then.”
He said his book is for “anyone who’s looking to understand existence on a deeper level and anyone who is dissatisfied with modern society.”
According to a synopsis Goonan has posted, “The philosophical basis of ‘The Foundation for Exploration’ is, ‘We have free will, we are not all powerful, we are not all knowing, and we experience the universe with a biological framework and consciousness.’ What arises from this is called ‘the duality of human nature,’ in which an individual may act destructively or in the way of ‘building.’
“The common thread throughout the book is the exploration of what power truly means, and how individuals should and must obtain the right form of power in order to be truly happy. Wrath, depression, madness, hedonism, and ignorance are viewed as conscious or subconscious choices to act destructively when faced with a feeling of powerlessness. By cultivating self-control, courage, wonder, and humor, people act in the way of ‘building’ and create true power in themselves, and in society at large.
“An exploration of the sexual nature of man and woman, and how sexual choices play out into the formation of society is delved into next. The theme of this section is that true power and happiness is only formed when the family is viewed as most important, not sexual conquest, hedonism, or deviancy, and that the polar nature of men cultivating masculinity, and women cultivating femininity is the only way for the actualization of potential in society and in the individual.”
Goonan said his discussion of sexuality has proven to be somewhat controversial, but he said, “I’ve spoken to people who appreciate how it helped them.”
Besides being available at Amazon, 32 bookstores across the country have stocked the book. He has also put a free PDF file of the book on his website, www.thefoundationpress.com/thefoundationforexploration.html.
“I really want to get my ideas out there,” he explained.