National Book Award Non Fiction Winner
The Measure of Man
by Joseph Wood Krutch
Summary
A philosophical critique of modern science and the "mechanistic" view of humanity. Krutch argues for the importance of human values, freedom, and the "modern temper" in an increasingly technological age.
”
Historical Context & Significance
A "defense of the soul" in the Atomic Age; Krutch's win reflected the 1950s intellectual anxiety about whether technology was beginning to outpace human morality.