Durable Goods : Pleasure, Wealth and Power in the Virtuous Life
Overview
Ancient Greek philosophers generally accept the claim that e?da? a is within our power to achieve, regardless of circumstance. Conversely, external goods - physical health, education, social standing - are frequently present or absent due to circumstances beyond our control. Can eudaimonism explain how more than a privileged elite can attain e?da? a when so few enjoy the requisite external goods?
A satisfactory account of the relation between external goods and well-being must accommodate both the insight that there is an essential connection between prosperity and the flourishing life and that there is a real sense in which e?da? a is a self-sufficient concept. The applied intellectualist interpretation of eudaimonism defended here accommodates important insights of several ancient Greek traditions: Aristotle's account of human nature, specifically the role of external goods as necessary preconditions for leading a human life; Socratic and Stoic analysis that external goods are necessary constituents of moral action; and Plato's commitment to a criterion for judging the compatibility of external prosperity with a life of e?da? a.
This text provides a comprehensive linguistic and ethical analysis of key terms and arguments across several centuries of ancient Greek ethical thought on this fascinating topic, making it an excellent foundation for an upper-division undergraduate seminar in ancient Greek ethics, virtue ethics, or applied ethics.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9781433116995
- ISBN-10: 1433116995
- Publisher: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publi
- Publish Date: April 2013
- Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
- Shipping Weight: 0.8 pounds
- Page Count: 177
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