Philosophy and Life
Exploring the Great Questions of How to Live
Published on 6. April 2023
448 pages
978-0-241-99321-7 (ISBN)
Description
'Grayling brings satisfying order to daunting subjects' Steven Pinker
'An enthusiastic thinker who embraces humour, common sense and lucidity' Independent
_______________
From the eminent philosopher, an authoritative exploration of the great questions of how to live
'There is a question everyone has to ask and answer - in fact, has to keep on asking and keep on answering. It is, 'How should I live my life?' meaning, 'What values shall I live by? 'What sort of person should I be? What shall I aim for?' The great majority of people do not ask this question, they merely answer it unthinkingly, by adopting conventional views of life and what matters in it...'
From Stoics to existentialists, in philosophy and literature, discussion of the philosophy of life -- of love and death, of courage, fortitude and wisdom -- challenges us all to think about what kinds of life are truly worth living. In this summation of a lifetime thinking and writing about this great question, A. C. Grayling explores with clarity and depth the ideas that each of us must use in answering it for ourselves.
Drawing on the lives, experiences and works of a fantastically eclectic range of thinkers -- taking in not only philosophers such as Confucius, Seneca and Nietzsche, but also authors from Shakespeare to Ursula LeGuin, and modern thinkers such as Martha Nussbaum and Bernard Williams - Philosophy and Life brings together wisdom from across eras and continents in a tour de force on the philosophy of being human in a complicated world.
'An enthusiastic thinker who embraces humour, common sense and lucidity' Independent
_______________
From the eminent philosopher, an authoritative exploration of the great questions of how to live
'There is a question everyone has to ask and answer - in fact, has to keep on asking and keep on answering. It is, 'How should I live my life?' meaning, 'What values shall I live by? 'What sort of person should I be? What shall I aim for?' The great majority of people do not ask this question, they merely answer it unthinkingly, by adopting conventional views of life and what matters in it...'
From Stoics to existentialists, in philosophy and literature, discussion of the philosophy of life -- of love and death, of courage, fortitude and wisdom -- challenges us all to think about what kinds of life are truly worth living. In this summation of a lifetime thinking and writing about this great question, A. C. Grayling explores with clarity and depth the ideas that each of us must use in answering it for ourselves.
Drawing on the lives, experiences and works of a fantastically eclectic range of thinkers -- taking in not only philosophers such as Confucius, Seneca and Nietzsche, but also authors from Shakespeare to Ursula LeGuin, and modern thinkers such as Martha Nussbaum and Bernard Williams - Philosophy and Life brings together wisdom from across eras and continents in a tour de force on the philosophy of being human in a complicated world.
Reviews / Votes
Vivid . . . a panoramic, sweeping affair, in which Grayling draws upon Lebensphilosophie in all its forms, from the ancient Greeks to Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre to contemporary thinkers such as Martha Nussbaum, as well as poets, artists and scientists * Daily Telegraph * An enthusiastic thinker who embraces humour, common sense and lucidity * Independent * Anthony Grayling's intimate and vital dialogue with many of the greatest thinkers since antiquity will inspire each of us to discover the best life we are capable of living -- Professor Simon MayMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
File size
1,02 MB
ISBN-13
978-0-241-99321-7 (9780241993217)
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
04/2024
Penguin Books Ltd
€14.50
Available immediately
Person
Professor A. C. Grayling is Principal of the New College of the Humanities at Northeastern University, London, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. He has written and edited over thirty books on philosophy, history, science and current affairs. For several years he wrote columns for the Guardian newspaper and The Times and was the chairman of the 2014 Man Booker Prize.
