With this text, Leszek Kolakowski demonstrates that no matter how hard man strives for purely rational thought, there has always been - and always will be - a resevoir of mythical images that lend "being" and "consciousness" a specifically human meaning.

"(An) important essay by a philosopher who more convincingly than any other I can think of demonstrates the continuing significance of his vocation in the life of our culture."--Karsten Harries, "The New York Times Book Review"
With "The Presence of Myth," Kolakowski demonstrates that no matter how hard man strives for purely rational thought, there has always been-and always will be-a reservoir of mythical images that lend "being" and "consciousness" a specifically human meaning.
"Kolakowski undertakes a philosophy of culture which extends to all realms of human intercourse--intellectual, artistic, scientific, and emotional. . . . (His) book has real significance for today, and may well become a classic in the philosophy of culture."--"Anglican Theological Review"