{"product_id":"the-art-of-life-hardback-9780801440069","title":"The Art of Life (Hardback) 9780801440069","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eThe Art of Life\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eJohn Kekes (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9780801440069\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 9 August 2002\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e288 pages\u003cbr\u003e22.9 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm, 0.907 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eJohn Kekes has been a steady and important contributor to recent discussions about life.... \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Life\u003c\/i\u003e demonstrates unequivocally the value of rigorous philosophical reflection on something that we all want, spend most of our time and energy trying to achieve, fret about endlessly, but understand only dimly, namely, a good life. \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Life \u003c\/i\u003eis both a pleasure to read and an illuminating piece of philosophical work. Kekes brings a lifetime of serious thought to this 'most important of all human activities.'\u003c\/p\u003e (The Journal of Ethics) \u003cp\u003eKekes belongs to a flourishing school of thought known as 'virtue ethics.' He and his colleagues believe that mainstream moral philosophers since the time of Kant and Bentham have been barking up the wrong tree. Instead of seeking to define morality in terms of abstract universal principles, they should have stuck to the traditional methods of Aristotle and Cicero, exploring what it might mean for particular individuals to have a virtuous or vicious character, or to lead an honourable or a despicable life. \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Life\u003c\/i\u003e is an impressive attempt to tackle this task directly.\u003c\/p\u003e (Times Literary Supplement) \u003cp\u003eArguing that no formalist doctrine such as Kant's can provide universally valid rules for leading a moral life, Kekes instead maintains that the study of admirable individuals furnishes the guidelines we need. Among those Kekes finds worthy of emulation are Montaigne and Thomas More, who balanced public responsibilities with private commitments.... Highly recommended for all public libraries.\u003c\/p\u003e (Library Journal)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"That the art of life is creative, imaginative, and individual does not mean... that it cannot be taught and learned or that individuals cannot improve their mastery of it. Teaching it proceeds by way of exemplary lives, and learning it consists in coming to appreciate what makes some lives exemplary.... That imitation here is impossible does not mean one cannot learn from examples. The question is, How can that be done reasonably; how can decisions about how one should live escape being arbitrary, if they are left to individual creativity and imagination and are not governed by rules that apply to everyone living in a particular context?\"—from \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe art of life, according to John Kekes, consists in living a life of personal and moral excellence. This art requires continuous creative effort, drawing on one's character, circumstances, experiences, and ideals. Since these conditions vary with times and places, Kekes says, there can be no single blueprint for the achievement of excellence. We must do it ourselves—but we can learn from those who have lived exemplary lives.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eReflecting on lives of integrity and honor, Kekes formulates what we can learn from them and what we can do to adapt the ideals they represent to our personal circumstances. Avoiding both the abstractness that characterizes much moral thought and the relativism that recognizes no rational or moral limits, Kekes shows how serious philosophical thinking can be readable and helpful to those who struggle with the perennial problems of human existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Cornell University Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52541584048408,"sku":"9780801440069","price":40.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/the-art-of-life-hardback-9780801440069","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}