The Morality of Everyday Life: Rediscovering an Ancient Alternative to the Liberal TraditionFleming offers an alternative to enlightened liberalism, where moral and political problems are looked at from an objective point of view and a decision made from a distant perspective that is both rational and universally applied to all comparable cases. He instead places importance on the particular, the local, and moral complexity, advocating a return to premodern traditions for a solution to ethical predicaments. In his view, liberalism and postmodernism ignore the fact that human beings by their very nature refuse to live in a world of abstractions where the attachments of friends, neighbors, family, and country make no difference. Fleming believes that a modern type of "casuistry" should be applied to moral conflicts, using examples from history, literature, and religion to explain this moral ecology that refuses to divorce organisms from their interactions with each other and with their environment. |
From inside the book
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Page 1
... duty, than the subtlest philosophy,which was ever yet invented. —David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature Il n'y a rien de meilleur que le pain cuit des devoirs quotidiens. (There is nothing better than the baked bread of everyday duty ...
... duty, than the subtlest philosophy,which was ever yet invented. —David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature Il n'y a rien de meilleur que le pain cuit des devoirs quotidiens. (There is nothing better than the baked bread of everyday duty ...
Page 3
... duty to call the police, but you feel uneasy, knowing that, despite his drug use, he is an otherwise responsible parent. Or perhaps you are a law-abiding citizen who wonders about the limits of his civic duty. You go to bed early ...
... duty to call the police, but you feel uneasy, knowing that, despite his drug use, he is an otherwise responsible parent. Or perhaps you are a law-abiding citizen who wonders about the limits of his civic duty. You go to bed early ...
Page 4
... duty to protect battered wives. You have received a large legacy from a maiden aunt,and although you are tempted to quit your job and move to Provence to grow grapes, your social conscience tells you to devote 10 percent of your ...
... duty to protect battered wives. You have received a large legacy from a maiden aunt,and although you are tempted to quit your job and move to Provence to grow grapes, your social conscience tells you to devote 10 percent of your ...
Page 5
... duty to go out of her way to help strangers. Of course, she says, she has religious reasons for wanting to protest abortions, just as she does for believing that it is in the public interest to inform on a drug user.“I certainly have ...
... duty to go out of her way to help strangers. Of course, she says, she has religious reasons for wanting to protest abortions, just as she does for believing that it is in the public interest to inform on a drug user.“I certainly have ...
Page 6
... duty, when confronted by an emergency, to save a life or prevent injury. This duty, they argue, supersedes any routine obligation, such as the obligation to obey local and national laws that protect property or international laws that ...
... duty, when confronted by an emergency, to save a life or prevent injury. This duty, they argue, supersedes any routine obligation, such as the obligation to obey local and national laws that protect property or international laws that ...
Contents
1 | |
18 | |
42 | |
Too Much Reality | 69 |
Growing Up Unabsurd | 94 |
Problems of Perspective | 135 |
The Myth of Individualism | 167 |
Goodbye Old Rights of Man | 194 |
Bibliography | 235 |
Index | 251 |
Other editions - View all
The Morality of Everyday Life: Rediscovering an Ancient Alternative to the ... Thomas Fleming No preview available - 2004 |
The Morality of Everyday Life: Rediscovering an Ancient Alternative to the ... Thomas Fleming No preview available - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
abstract American ancient argued argument Aristotle attachment authority become beginning believe better century charity child Christian Church citizens civil claims common concept cultural death decisions depends different duty early entire equal ethical example exist fact father feel first French friends give global Greek human ideal identity individual interests Italy John justice killed language later learned least less liberal liberty live loyalty matter means mind moral nationalist natural never object obligation once parents patriotism person perspective philosophers political poor practical Press principle problem question reason regard religion religious require responsibility Roman rules seems sense social society story strangers Studies tell theory things thought tion tradition turn United universal virtue women young