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Paul Bloomfield - The Virtues of Happiness. A Theory of the Good Life.  - 9780190612009 - V9780190612009
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The Virtues of Happiness. A Theory of the Good Life.

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Description for The Virtues of Happiness. A Theory of the Good Life. Paperback. Undeniably, life is unfair. So, why play fairly in an unfair world? The answer comes from combining the ancient Greek conception of happiness with a modern conception of self-respect. The book is about why it is bad to be bad and good to be good, and what happens in between. Series: Oxford Moral Theory. Num Pages: 272 pages. BIC Classification: HPM; HPQ. Category: (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly. Dimension: 210 x 141 x 16. Weight in Grams: 328.
As children, we learn life is unfair: bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. So, it is natural to ask, "Why play fairly in an unfair world? If being immoral will get you what you want and you know you can't get caught, why not do it?" The answers, as argued herein, begin by rejecting the idea that morality and happiness are at odds with one another. From this point of view, we can see how immorality undermines its perpetrator's happiness: self-respect is necessary for happiness, and immorality undermines self-respect. As we see how our self-respect is conditional upon how we respect others, we learn to evaluate and value ourselves, and others, appropriately. The central thesis is the result of combining the ancient Greek conception of happiness (eudaimonia) with a modern conception of self-respect. We become happy, we live the best life we can, only by becoming virtuous: by being as courageous, just, temperate, and wise as can be. These are the virtues of happiness. This book explains why it is bad to be bad and good to be good, and what happens to people's values as their practical rationality develops.

Product Details

Format
Paperback
Publication date
2016
Publisher
Oxford University Press Inc United States
Number of pages
272
Condition
New
Series
Oxford Moral Theory
Number of Pages
272
Place of Publication
New York, United States
ISBN
9780190612009
SKU
V9780190612009
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 15 to 20 working days
Ref
99-23

About Paul Bloomfield
Paul Bloomfield is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut. He is the author of Moral Reality (OUP 2001) and editor of Morality and Self-Interest (OUP 2008).

Reviews for The Virtues of Happiness. A Theory of the Good Life.
...Bloomfield's book is an excellent read... His interweaving of happiness and self-respect is cogent and unique, and shows how much fertile ground there is in combining virtue and deontological approaches. In covering these ideas as well as issues in value theory, this book has much to offer for anyone broadly interested in ethical theory.
Social Theory and Practice
...He also offers an excellent argument against the Stoics... All in all, Bloomfield's book makes an important contribution to the eudaimonistic literature and is also a pleasure to read.
Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online

Goodreads reviews for The Virtues of Happiness. A Theory of the Good Life.