This original and ambitious book aims to change how we think about good lives. The perennial debates about good lives-the disagreements caused by conflicts between scientific, religious, moral, historical, aesthetic, and subjective modes of reflection-typically end in an impasse. This leaves the underlying problems of the meaning of life, the possibility of free action, the place of morality in good lives, the art of life, and human self-understanding as intractable as they have ever been.

The way out of this impasse, argues Kekes, is to abandon the assumption shared by the contending parties that the solutions of these problems can be rational only if they apply universally to all lives in all contexts. He believes that solutions may vary with lives and contexts and still be rational. Kekes defends a pluralistic alternative to absolutism and relativism that will, he holds, take philosophy in a new and more productive direction.

About the Author

John Kekes is Professor of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Albany.

Reviews

Humans seek to live good lives, trusting in habit and custom as primary guides. However, certain facts arise which disrupt the attempt to realize such lives.... Because the writing quality is of a very high order, the reader wil readily absorb Kekes's initial exposition of the problem and follow him to his final conclusions. One may end up disagreeing with these conclusions, but one will have learnt to look at an old problem from a novel, illuminating, and human angle.

-- Christopher Albrecht, St. Basil College * The Review of Metaphysics *

A worthy successor to a run of excellent books.... Carefully argued and highly readable. There is an impressive directness and integrity about the writing: clear, straightforward, and utterly free from the pretentiousness and obfuscation of so much contemporary academic writing. Even those who are unconvinced that it will radically alter our philosophical outlook on the problems of the good life wil have to admit that it casts a fresh and challenging light on questions of the utmost importance.

-- John Cottingham, University of Reading * Mind *

John Kekes's project has been to encourage others to be realistic about what it takes to make good lives for themselves in a troubled, flawed, and apparently contingent universe.

-- Preston Jones, Cambridge School of Dallas * Touchstone *



Book Information
ISBN 9780801438059
Author John Kekes
Format Hardback
Page Count 240
Imprint Cornell University Press
Publisher Cornell University Press
Weight(grams) 907g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 24mm