
Good and Evil
12 Philosophers on How to Live
Andrew Irwin(Editor)
TLS Books (Publisher)
Published on 20. November 2025
Book
Hardback
176 pages
978-0-00-874719-0 (ISBN)
Description
*Introduced by Rory Stewart*
What makes a person good? What does it mean to be evil? And what does it tell us about being human?
Philosophers have been grappling with these questions for thousands of years, and they remain as vital as ever in our present moment. Here, in a selection of essays each written by a different world expert, we explore the ideas of twelve strikingly different philosophers. From Hannah Arendt's 'banality of evil' to Nietzsche's embrace of suffering, from John Stuart Mill's ethics of happiness to the ruthless realism of Machiavelli, there is an approach for readers of all persuasions. This is the book for anyone trying to understand how humans can sometimes behave so badly, and how we can all be better.
What makes a person good? What does it mean to be evil? And what does it tell us about being human?
Philosophers have been grappling with these questions for thousands of years, and they remain as vital as ever in our present moment. Here, in a selection of essays each written by a different world expert, we explore the ideas of twelve strikingly different philosophers. From Hannah Arendt's 'banality of evil' to Nietzsche's embrace of suffering, from John Stuart Mill's ethics of happiness to the ruthless realism of Machiavelli, there is an approach for readers of all persuasions. This is the book for anyone trying to understand how humans can sometimes behave so badly, and how we can all be better.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Dimensions
Height: 201 mm
Width: 137 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
250 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-874719-0 (9780008747190)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
approx. 11/2026
TLS Books
€13.00
Not yet published

E-Book
11/2025
HarperCollins
€8.99
Available for download
Persons
Rory Stewart is the co-host with Alastair Campbell of the podcast The Rest Is Politics. His books include Politics on the Edge, a #1 Sunday Times bestseller, the New York Times bestseller The Places in Between and, most recently, Middleland: Dispatches from the Borders. He previously served in the UK Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development.
Andrew Irwin is Philosophy editor at the TLS.
Andrew Irwin is Philosophy editor at the TLS.