The Best Things in Life

A Guide to What Really Matters

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Ethics & Moral Philosophy
Cover of the book The Best Things in Life by Thomas Hurka, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Thomas Hurka ISBN: 9780199752614
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: December 3, 2010
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Thomas Hurka
ISBN: 9780199752614
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: December 3, 2010
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

For centuries, philosophers, theologians, moralists, and ordinary people have asked: How should we live? What makes for a good life? In The Best Things in Life, distinguished philosopher Thomas Hurka takes a fresh look at these perennial questions as they arise for us now in the 21st century. Should we value family over career? How do we balance self-interest and serving others? What activities bring us the most joy? While religion, literature, popular psychology, and everyday wisdom all grapple with these questions, philosophy more than anything else uses the tools of reason to make important distinctions, cut away irrelevancies, and distill these issues down to their essentials. Hurka argues that if we are to live a good life, one thing we need to know is which activities and experiences will most likely lead us to happiness and which will keep us from it, while also reminding us that happiness isn't the only thing that makes life good. Hurka explores many topics: four types of good feeling (and the limits of good feeling); how we can improve our baseline level of happiness (making more money, it turns out, isn't the answer); which kinds of knowledge are most worth having; the importance of achieving worthwhile goals; the value of love and friendship; and much more. Unlike many philosophers, he stresses that there isn't just one good in life but many: pleasure, as Epicurus argued, is indeed one, but knowledge, as Socrates contended, is another, as is achievement. And while the great philosophers can help us understand what matters most in life, Hurka shows that we must ultimately decide for ourselves. This delightfully accessible book offers timely guidance on answering the most important question any of us will ever ask: How do we live a good life?

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

For centuries, philosophers, theologians, moralists, and ordinary people have asked: How should we live? What makes for a good life? In The Best Things in Life, distinguished philosopher Thomas Hurka takes a fresh look at these perennial questions as they arise for us now in the 21st century. Should we value family over career? How do we balance self-interest and serving others? What activities bring us the most joy? While religion, literature, popular psychology, and everyday wisdom all grapple with these questions, philosophy more than anything else uses the tools of reason to make important distinctions, cut away irrelevancies, and distill these issues down to their essentials. Hurka argues that if we are to live a good life, one thing we need to know is which activities and experiences will most likely lead us to happiness and which will keep us from it, while also reminding us that happiness isn't the only thing that makes life good. Hurka explores many topics: four types of good feeling (and the limits of good feeling); how we can improve our baseline level of happiness (making more money, it turns out, isn't the answer); which kinds of knowledge are most worth having; the importance of achieving worthwhile goals; the value of love and friendship; and much more. Unlike many philosophers, he stresses that there isn't just one good in life but many: pleasure, as Epicurus argued, is indeed one, but knowledge, as Socrates contended, is another, as is achievement. And while the great philosophers can help us understand what matters most in life, Hurka shows that we must ultimately decide for ourselves. This delightfully accessible book offers timely guidance on answering the most important question any of us will ever ask: How do we live a good life?

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Caring for a Living by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book Leadership, Discourse, and Ethnicity by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book The Kaiser's Army by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book When Art Disrupts Religion by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book Rapid Response System by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book The Dark Double by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book Democracy by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book American Juvenile Justice by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book Communicating Science by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book Damn Great Empires! by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp Level 1 Oxford Bookworms Library by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book Dancing Revelations by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book The Gods of Prophetstown by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book After Occupy by Thomas Hurka
Cover of the book Self-System Therapy for Depression by Thomas Hurka
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy