by Andre Comte - Sponville (Author)
Much of the history of philosophy is the history of ethics. From Plato to Sartre, the great philosophers have returned to the central ethical questions of how we are to live good lives; how is it appropriate and virtuous for us to behave, both to ourselves and to others? In addressing these questions, Andre Comte-Sponville returns to the mainstream of much of the Western philosophical tradition with an utterly original exploration of the timeless human virtues. A Short Treatise on the Great Virtues takes as its starting point eighteen human virtues to help us understand 'what we should do, who we should be, and how we should live'. Comte-Sponville offers the reader both a thoughtful and accessible introduction to the history of Western ethics and an exploration of the ways in which the views and claims of the great philosophers can apply - and fail to apply - to our lives today.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Edition: New Edition
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 02 Jan 2003
ISBN 10: 0099437988
ISBN 13: 9780099437987
Book Overview: 'A glittering display of virtuous virtuosity' John Carey, Sunday Times