The World's Best Book Summaries
How are we limited in our pursuit of happiness? Can we still be happy? We can reason, so we’re above the animals. But, we can’t eternally contemplate, so we’re below the gods. In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle addresses human limitations and discusses how we still can strive for happiness, even within constraints. Keep reading for Aristotle’s views on human limitations.
What is the greatest virtue? What makes it so great? Does Aristotle’s theory hold water? In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle discusses virtues, both moral and intellectual. He argues that one virtue rises above all the others: wisdom. Unlike other virtues, it’s an end in itself and, thus, the best way to achieve happiness—the goal of life. Read more to understand Aristotle’s opinion about the greatest virtue.
What did Aristotle say about wisdom as a virtue? Why did he believe it was superior? In an effort to prove that wisdom is the greatest virtue of all, Aristotle explains how the virtue of wisdom is superior to moral virtues. He claims that wisdom is superior because it’s self-sufficient and divine. Let’s take a look at Aristotle’s view on the virtue of wisdom as presented in his Nicomachean Ethics.
How can people become virtuous? What was Aristotle’s theory? A person can develop moral virtue, Aristotle says, through habit. This journey involves three main elements: achieving a mean between two vices, experiencing pain and pleasure, and acquiring moral education. Continue reading for an overview of Aristotle’s ideas about moral virtue as presented in his Nicomachean Ethics.
What’s happiness? What does reason have to do with it? How is virtue a factor? Aristotle concedes that many people agree with him that happiness is the goal of human life. The real challenge is defining happiness. He defines it as rational activity aligned with virtue. Keep reading to understand Aristotle’s definition of happiness.
What’s the goal of life? Did Aristotle get it right? Aristotle spent a lot of time thinking about life and its ultimate goal. He considered what we do and why we do it. He concluded that a good life is a happy life—and a happy life is a good life. Read more to better understand Aristotle’s view.
Do soldiers enjoy killing? If killing is against human nature, why do people choose to join the military? There’s a common misconception that soldiers get a kick out of the thrill of killing. After all, people choose this profession consciously, knowing what it entails. But soldiers do not enjoy killing. In fact, most soldiers will go to great lengths to avoid killing in battles. Here’s why soldiers do not, in fact, enjoy killing.
Is abstracted empiricism a constructive approach to social science? What are its flaws? In The Sociological Imagination, C. Wright Mills contends that not all ways of doing social science are equal. He believes that his way (sociological imagination) is the only one that serves the main purpose of social science—preserving freedom. He offers a critique of other approaches, especially abstracted empiricism, asserting that they fail to protect a free and open society in the way sociological imagination does. Keep reading for Mills’s evaluation of abstracted empiricism.
Are humans inherently good or evil? Are we born good and corrupted by civilization? Or does civilization correct and curb our inherently evil nature? For millennia, philosophers have debated humankind’s true nature. According to author Rutger Bregman, there are two philosophers in particular who’ve shaped this debate: Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Hobbes believed that humans are inherently selfish and cruel, whereas Rousseau maintained that we’re fundamentally decent and want to do the right thing. Let’s take a look at both sides of the debate.
What is grand theory in sociology? How well does it uphold the main purpose of social science? In The Sociological Imagination, C. Wright Mills contends that not all approaches to social science are equal. He believes that his approach (sociological imagination) is the only way to preserve freedom. He offers a critique of other approaches, including grand theory, asserting that they fail to protect a free and open society in the way sociological imagination does. Let’s take a look at what grand theory is—and how Mills thinks it fails to deliver.