Saving the Appearances

Barfield argues that human consciousness itself has a history — that the relation between mind and world changed over time, and that treating our own representations as the world is what he calls idolatry.

Why it’s on the list: Named in the “how the world really works” thread. A short, strange, very influential book; Barfield was the Inkling who most changed how C. S. Lewis thought.

Where I saw it: In Kyle’s “Books To Read” Apple Note, recovered from the reply thread to @SpencrGreenberg asking “What non-fiction book taught you the most about how the world (or how humanity or society) really works?” (June 5, 2025). The full recovered list lives on A question for you — What non-fiction… (tweet).

Connections

• A question for you — What non-fiction… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
• Epistemology — the argument.