In these three predecessors of existentialism, all of whom were profoundly influenced by Stendhal, the author finds evidence of that spiritual isolation which leads ultimately to personal solitude and philosophical nihilism. To these negative modes of being he opposes the alternatives embodied by St. Augustine and Proust-- the passion for God and the passion for creation.

Ralph Harper (1916-1996) was an adjunct professor of humanities at the Johns Hopkins University and a rector of St. James Church in Monkton, Maryland. He is the author of twelve books, including The Seventh Solitude, Human Love, The World of the Thriller, The Existential Experience, and Journey from Paradise, which were published by the Johns Hopkins University Press.