The Ends of Life

Roads to Fulfilment in Early Modern England

Nonfiction, History, British, Religion & Spirituality
Cover of the book The Ends of Life by Keith Thomas, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Keith Thomas ISBN: 9780191623462
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: February 25, 2010
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: Keith Thomas
ISBN: 9780191623462
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: February 25, 2010
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English

How should we live? That question was no less urgent for English men and women who lived between the early sixteenth and late eighteenth centuries than for this book's readers. Keith Thomas's masterly exploration of the ways in which people sought to lead fulfilling lives in those centuries between the beginning of the Reformation and the heyday of the Enlightenment illuminates the central values of the period, while casting incidental light on some of the perennial problems of human existence. Consideration of the origins of the modern ideal of human fulfilment and of obstacles to its realization in the early modern period frames an investigation that ranges from work, wealth, and possessions to the pleasures of friendship, family, and sociability. The cult of military prowess, the pursuit of honour and reputation, the nature of religious belief and scepticism, and the desire to be posthumously remembered are all drawn into the discussion, and the views and practices of ordinary people are measured against the opinions of the leading philosophers and theologians of the time. The Ends of Life offers a fresh approach to the history of early modern England, by one of the foremost historians of our time. It also provides modern readers with much food for thought on the problem of how we should live and what goals in life we should pursue.

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

How should we live? That question was no less urgent for English men and women who lived between the early sixteenth and late eighteenth centuries than for this book's readers. Keith Thomas's masterly exploration of the ways in which people sought to lead fulfilling lives in those centuries between the beginning of the Reformation and the heyday of the Enlightenment illuminates the central values of the period, while casting incidental light on some of the perennial problems of human existence. Consideration of the origins of the modern ideal of human fulfilment and of obstacles to its realization in the early modern period frames an investigation that ranges from work, wealth, and possessions to the pleasures of friendship, family, and sociability. The cult of military prowess, the pursuit of honour and reputation, the nature of religious belief and scepticism, and the desire to be posthumously remembered are all drawn into the discussion, and the views and practices of ordinary people are measured against the opinions of the leading philosophers and theologians of the time. The Ends of Life offers a fresh approach to the history of early modern England, by one of the foremost historians of our time. It also provides modern readers with much food for thought on the problem of how we should live and what goals in life we should pursue.

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book Multiple Sclerosis by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book A Lab of One's Own by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book Goethe: A Very Short Introduction by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book A Dictionary of Logic by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book New York Scientific by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book Remembering our Childhood:How Memory Betrays Us by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book The Political Economy of Monetary Solidarity by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book Shakespeare's Comedies: A Very Short Introduction by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book An Epistemic Theory of Democracy by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of American Bureaucracy by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book Mass by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2012 (book only) by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book The Holy Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book The Multiple Realization Book by Keith Thomas
Cover of the book Bridging the Gender Gap by Keith Thomas
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