In Search of Goodness

In Search of Goodness PDF Author: Ruth W. Grant
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226306836
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 187

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Book Description
Everyone wants to think of themselves as good. But what does a good life look like? And how do people become good? Are there multiple, competing possibilities for what counts as a good life, all equally worthy? Or, is there a unified idea of the good that should guide our judgment of the possibilities? This book answers these questions.

Iris Murdoch and the Search for Human Goodness

Iris Murdoch and the Search for Human Goodness PDF Author: Maria Antonaccio
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 9780226021126
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
A HISTORY AND CRITIQUE OF THE WRITINGS OF IRIS MURDOCH.

In Search of Goodness

In Search of Goodness PDF Author: Ruth W. Grant
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226306836
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 187

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Book Description
Everyone wants to think of themselves as good. But what does a good life look like? And how do people become good? Are there multiple, competing possibilities for what counts as a good life, all equally worthy? Or, is there a unified idea of the good that should guide our judgment of the possibilities? This book answers these questions.

In Search of Goodness

In Search of Goodness PDF Author: Ruth W. Grant
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226306852
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 187

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Book Description
The recent spate of books and articles reflecting on the question of evil might make one forget that the question of just what constitutes goodness is no less urgent or perplexing. Everyone wants to think of him- or herself as good. But what does a good life look like? And how do people become good? Are there multiple, competing possibilities for what counts as a good life, all equally worthy? Or, is there a unified and transcendent conception of the good that should guide our judgment of the possibilities? What does a good life look like when it is guided by God? How is a good life involved with the lives of others? And, finally, how good is good enough? These questions are the focus of In Search of Goodness, the product of a year-long conversation about goodness. The eight essays in this volume challenge the dichotomies that usually govern how goodness has been discussed in the past: altruism versus egoism; reason versus emotion; or moral choice versus moral character. Instead, the contributors seek to expand the terms of the discussion by coming at goodness from a variety of perspectives: psychological, philosophic, literary, religious, and political. In each case, they emphasize the lived realities and particulars of moral phenomena, taking up examples and illustrations from life, literature, and film. From Achilles and Billy Budd, to Oskar Schindler and Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, to Iris Murdoch and the citizens of Flagstaff, Arizona, readers will find a wealth of thought-provoking insights to help them better understand this most basic, but complex, element of human life and happiness.

In Search of Deep Faith

In Search of Deep Faith PDF Author: Jim Belcher
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830837744
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 323

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Book Description
Follow pastor Jim Belcher and his family as they take a pilgrimage through Europe, seeking substance for their faith in Christianity's historic, civilizational home. What they find, in places like Lewis's Oxford and Bonhoeffer's Germany, are glimpses of another kind of faith—one with power to cut through centuries and pierce our hearts today.

Against Absolute Goodness

Against Absolute Goodness PDF Author: Richard Kraut
Publisher: OUP USA
ISBN: 0199844461
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
Richard Kraut argues that goodness is not a reason-giving property--in fact, there may be no such thing.

My Goodness

My Goodness PDF Author: Joe Queenan
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
ISBN: 9780330393249
Category : Cynicism..
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
This is a journey of spititual self-regeneration by a mean-spirited, dried-up cynic. The author looks at the icons of goodness, such as Sting and Susan Sarandon, and sets out to make sure people get the facts and figures about being a wonderful person.

The Fragility of Goodness

The Fragility of Goodness PDF Author: Martha C. Nussbaum
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107393779
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 587

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Book Description
This book is a study of ancient views about 'moral luck'. It examines the fundamental ethical problem that many of the valued constituents of a well-lived life are vulnerable to factors outside a person's control, and asks how this affects our appraisal of persons and their lives. The Greeks made a profound contribution to these questions, yet neither the problems nor the Greek views of them have received the attention they deserve. This book thus recovers a central dimension of Greek thought and addresses major issues in contemporary ethical theory. One of its most original aspects is its interrelated treatment of both literary and philosophical texts. The Fragility of Goodness has proven to be important reading for philosophers and classicists, and its non-technical style makes it accessible to any educated person interested in the difficult problems it tackles. This edition, first published in 2001, features a preface by Martha Nussbaum.

Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God

Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God PDF Author: Marilyn McCord Adams
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 1501735926
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
When confronted by horrendous evil, even the most pious believer may question not only life's worth but also God's power and goodness. A distinguished philosopher and a practicing minister, Marilyn McCord Adams has written a highly original work on a fundamental dilemma of Christian thought—how to reconcile faith in God with the evils that afflict human beings. Adams argues that much of the discussion in analytic philosophy of religion over the last forty years has offered too narrow an understanding of the problem. The ground rules accepted for the discussion have usually led philosophers to avert their gaze from the worst—horrendous—evils and their devastating impact on human lives. They have agreed to debate the issue on the basis of religion-neutral values, and have focused on morals, an approach that—Adams claims—is inadequate for formulating and solving the problem of horrendous evils. She emphasizes instead the fruitfulness of other evaluative categories such as purity and defilement, honor and shame, and aesthetics. If redirected, philosophical reflection on evil can, Adams's book demonstrates, provide a valuable approach not only to theories of God and evil but also to pastoral care.

Goodness and the Literary Imagination

Goodness and the Literary Imagination PDF Author: Toni Morrison
Publisher: University of Virginia Press
ISBN: 0813943639
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
What exactly is goodness? Where is it found in the literary imagination? Toni Morrison, one of American letters’ greatest voices, pondered these perplexing questions in her celebrated Ingersoll Lecture, delivered at Harvard University in 2012 and published now for the first time in book form. Perhaps because it is overshadowed by the more easily defined evil, goodness often escapes our attention. Recalling many literary examples, from Ahab to Coetzee’s Michael K, Morrison seeks the essence of goodness and ponders its significant place in her writing. She considers the concept in relation to unforgettable characters from her own works of fiction and arrives at conclusions that are both eloquent and edifying. In a lively interview conducted for this book, Morrison further elaborates on her lecture’s ideas, discussing goodness not only in literature but in society and history—particularly black history, which has responded to centuries of brutality with profound creativity. Morrison’s essay is followed by a series of responses by scholars in the fields of religion, ethics, history, and literature to her thoughts on goodness and evil, mercy and love, racism and self-destruction, language and liberation, together with close examination of literary and theoretical expressions from her works. Each of these contributions, written by a scholar of religion, considers the legacy of slavery and how it continues to shape our memories, our complicities, our outcries, our lives, our communities, our literature, and our faith. In addition, the contributors engage the religious orientation in Morrison’s novels so that readers who encounter her many memorable characters such as Sula, Beloved, or Frank Money will learn and appreciate how Morrison’s notions of goodness and mercy also reflect her understanding of the sacred and the human spirit.

Seeking Out Goodness

Seeking Out Goodness PDF Author: Alexandra Kuykendall
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1493432885
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 130

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Book Description
Most of us feel the world is more contentious and less civil than it was a generation ago, or a few years ago, or maybe even last week. We long to be reassured that everything is going to be okay, that God is still at work, even in small ways. The good news is, even when our circumstances change, God does not. He is still in control, and he still offers us good gifts. We just have to know where to look for them. Exploring the beautiful admonition found in Philippians 4:8 to think on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, author Alexandra Kuykendall encourages us to keep seeking out goodness even when we are mired in a time of fear, division, and negativity. Through personal stories and clear biblical insight, Alex helps us see God at work right now, right in our midst, no matter how messy life feels. She helps us appreciate other people even when we disagree with them, move past false dichotomies, celebrate goodness in others when we find it, and hope for a brighter tomorrow even as we celebrate the good gifts we receive today.