Towards The Sublime By Robert Greene (Everything We Know, Summary & Review)

What Is The Release Date?

Many people are wondering what is Robert Greene’s next book and when it will be released. Greene’s next book was supposed to be called The Law Of The Sublime, but a recent leak suggests it is now called Towards The Sublime. There is NO OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE as of yet.

However, there is a rumor that the book will be released on the 3rd of October, in 2024. The rumor is based on two websites that say copies of the book will release on that date. The first site is Google books. The second website appears to be a book publisher, though their author page doesn’t list this book under Greene’s other work.

This rumor does match our expectations of a Fall of 2024 release, since Greene himself included parts of the sublime in his last book called the Daily Laws. The Daily Laws was released in 2021 and we have a very detailed summary here of Daily Laws if you are interested.

We are just a speck in the grand scheme of things.

What Is The Book About?

Greene’s next book is called The Law Of The Sublime, though some speculate it is now called Towards The Sublime. It is about expanding our minds so we can better approach and think about life.

The sublime is found in a realm just past our typical human experience. We are constrained by culture, rules, and biology to experience certain aspects of life more than others. Greene wants us to step out of this common experience to expand our minds.

An experience of this sublime realm is where humans feel feelings of fear, awe, beauty, and terror. You can use nature, art, meditation, and other things to give yourself this experience.

The book covers ways the sublime can expand your mind, and the benefits of doing so. For example, Greene talks about how meditating on your mortality helps you refocus and prioritize life. He also mentions how experiencing the power and majesty of nature can generate a sublime experience.

These experiences will help you appreciate and better understand your position in life.

What Is The Theory Of The Sublime? (In Romanticism, Aesthetics, or Philosophy)

The sublime is defined as a quality of greatness beyond all human calculation or measurement.

A notable contribution to the topic was made by Edmund Burke where he discussed the idea of an experience of negative pain, delight, fear, and pleasure when experiencing the sublime.

Immanuel Kant also made a contribution to the topic by separating the sublime into three kinds called the noble, the splendid, and the terrifying. He also says sublimity is located in both nature and thought.

The concept of the sublime is often referenced in aesthetics where art or experience produces a strong emotion in the mind. Examples include feelings of awe, terror, or reverence. Typically the art includes a balance between danger and beauty.

What Is The Sublime Law?

The Sublime Law describes requirements or methods humans can follow to have a sublime experience. A sublime experience can be caused by an encounter with nature, mortality, or other things that cause feelings like awe or fear.

What Is An Example Of The Sublime?

The Sublime is the area just beyond typical human experience. Any example of the sublime must evoke certain emotions or thoughts.

One example of a sublime experience is when you look at a piece of art that focuses on nature. If you are looking and meditating on a painting of Niagara Falls, you might start to experience the emotions or thoughts of awe. You think of how large and powerful nature is compared to you. Then you picture being crushed by the power of the water and begin to contemplate your mortality and insignificance. These emotions and thoughts are your mind connecting and experiencing sublimity.

A waterfall can induce a sublime experience.

The effect of this experience is you better recognize how vulnerable you are compared to other things in the world. You will start appreciating simple experiences more because you recognize how you could die at any moment. Now walks to the mailbox and tasting food seems more intense.

Review

There isn’t much information about the book out yet but so far it seems to follow a similar pattern to Greene’s most popular books. It promises to use examples to illustrate his point, and analysis to educate the reader.

It is within his typical topic of self improvement and personal power since it promises to help the reader expand their mind.

Summary

So far we only know small pieces about the introduction, chapter 1, and chapter 2, taken from snippets from the Daily Laws Book.

Introduction

This part of the book talks about what the sublime is and what it is not.

Chapter 1

The first chapter introduces us to the sublime by talking about encounters with the cosmic sublime. This is a physical object that implies the infinite nature of time and space and brings us a feeling of majesty. We are encouraged to think about how our brain is similar to the universe, how small we are, and how great nature is.

Chapter 2

Greene talks about how we exist in relation to culture. We can experience the sublime by pondering how society influences our behaviors. He says we should focus on letting go of the past and focusing on the present.

What Has Greene Revealed About The Book So Far?

Past Works That Reference The Sublime

Green talked about how the concept of The Law Of The Sublime is discussed in his book the 50th Law chapter 10 as well as the Laws Of Human Nature chapter 18.

50th Law chapter 10 talks about how we can avoid thinking about how little time we have in the world. Or we can confront our mortality and accept it, and turn that fear into something that can help make us better. Our lives can be bettered by this because it focuses us. By focusing on how little time we have left, we clarify what is most important and allow ourselves to find our life mission or purpose.

Laws of Human Nature chapter 18 talks about meditating on our common mortality and the paradoxical death effect. The paradoxical death effect is the idea that by focusing on the specific things that happen around our death, we make our life more meaningful and focused, thereby empowering our life.

Information From Greene’s Recent Book Release (The Daily Laws)

Greene launched the book called The Daily Laws in fall of 2021. The book contains important pieces of Greene’s major works, cut down to daily bite sized chunks for study and review.

The month of December contains at least 15 references to his book on the sublime. Most of the references cite the first, second, or introductory chapters of the book.

He says that the book is focused on expanding your mind to the fullest reaches. You can do this by visiting different places in nature that cause a combination of awe and fear. You can also ponder your mortality. He suggests going to areas where humans have had very little impact. Another way to experience the sublime is to think of human culture and how it effects you. Similarly you can think of how other things like animals experience life. This helps you put life in perspective and focus on what matters.

Additionally he gives warnings on how to avoid and recognize the fake sublime. Things like drugs, alcohol, or video games give us temporary experiences that do not create a lasting change within.

What Greene Has Revealed On YouTube And In Interviews

Greene gives an example of sublime thought in this clip on YouTube. He says that we can think about how unlikely it is that humans exist, that the world is the way it is and not another way, how unlikely it is that people can even converse, and how unlikely life itself is. These things could scare us but they also put everything into perspective.

Greene also talks in this interview about the sublime. He says he discussed it a bit in his book the 50th law, chapter 10 as well as Laws of Human Nature, chapter 18. Greene says humans have rules and codes that help us survive that form a sort of safe circle that we live in. But we must step out of this circle to experience the sublime. We do this by exploring new intellectual or physical or natural experiences and ideas and meditating on death. When we do this, we have a sublime experience. This allows us to see ways we can better our life that we might not normally find within our typical culture or experience. It also helps us appreciate things more.

Greene’s Note Cards For The Book

An image released on Instagram also shows his note cards that typically organize Greene’s books. They include sections like “Intro,” “Cosmic,” “Biological,” “Pagan,” “Animal,” “Childhood,” “Neuro,” “Dionysian,” “Love,” “Historical,” “Perspectival,” “Chance,” “Daemon,” “Art,” “Romantic,” “Dynamical,” “Social,” “Empathetic,” “Out Of Time,” “Death,” “Apocalyptic,” and “Anti-Sublime.” Greene and his protege Ryan Holiday talk about how they use note cards in multiple places, but generally it is a way of organizing thoughts about the book and references to examples they will use.

Books Greene Is Using As Background Research

Books Greene Is Using For Background Research

Greene Posted on Instagram and Twitter images of books he is reading for his new book The Law Of The Sublime.

One book Greene is using as background research for his new book is called “Black Hole Blues” by Janna Levin. The book is an account of the discovery of gravitational waves.

Another book is called “History Of A Voyage To The Land Of Brazil” by Janet Whatley. This book is an account of life in the new world by Jean de Lery.

He also said a book called “On Deep History And The Brain” by Daniel Smail is source material. This book is about how neuroscience and neurobiology should be applied to history.

Aliens” by Jim Khalili is another book he is using for research on The Law of the Sublime. It is a collection of essays by scientists about the most recent research, ideas, and theories about alien life forms.

Greene cites the book “Wonderful Life” by Stephen Gould as well. The book discusses history of evolution by focusing on what we can learn from strange things found in a quarry formed over 530 million years ago.

Additionally the book “Other Minds” by Peter Smith is cited. It talks about how subjective experience came into being by discussing where animals first showed up (the ocean).

Where Can I Buy The Book?

The book is not available for preorder yet on any platforms.

Check out detailed summaries of Greene’s other works here, 48 Laws Of Power or Daily Laws.

See also our video on the key to manipulation.

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