The great German novelist Thomas Mann implored readers to resist
the persistent and growing militarism of the mid-twentieth century.
To whom should we turn for guidance during this current era of
global violence, political corruption, economic inequality, and
environmental degradation? For more than two millennia, the world's
great thinkers have held that the ethically "good life" is the
highest purpose of human existence. Renowned political philosopher
Fred Dallmayr traces the development of this notion, finding
surprising connections among Aristotelian ethics, Abrahamic and
Eastern religious traditions, German idealism, and postindustrial
social criticism. In Search of the Good Life does not offer a
blueprint but rather invites readers on a cross-cultural quest.
Along the way, the author discusses the teachings of Aristotle,
Confucius, Nicolaus of Cusa, Leibniz, and Schiller, in addition
invoking more recent writings of Gadamer and Ricoeur, as guideposts
and sources of hope during our troubled times. Among contemporary
themes Dallmayr discusses are the role of the classics in
education, proper and improper ways of spreading democracy
globally, the possibility of transnational citizenship, the problem
of politicized evil, and the role of religion in our predominantly
secular culture. Dallmayr restores the notion of the good life as a
hallmark of personal conduct, civic virtue, and political
engagement, and as the road map to enduring peace. In Search of the
Good Life seeks to arouse complacent and dispirited citizens,
guiding them out of the distractions of shallow amusements and
perilous resentments in the direction of mutual learning and civic
pedagogy -- a direction that will enable them to impose
accountability on political leaders who stray from fundamental
ethical standards.
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