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. |
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Page 3
... later, may not have to face (at least, not often) Hamlet's dilemma, but we have problems enough. Suppose you are a school nurse who hears that the father of a student is smoking marijuana on the weekends. You believe it is your duty to ...
... later, may not have to face (at least, not often) Hamlet's dilemma, but we have problems enough. Suppose you are a school nurse who hears that the father of a student is smoking marijuana on the weekends. You believe it is your duty to ...
Page 22
... practiced against outsiders by otherwise moral people. The Greeks at Troy were said to have killed the child of Hector to prevent him from growing up to seek revenge, and, while later Greek poets 22 The Morality of Everyday Life.
... practiced against outsiders by otherwise moral people. The Greeks at Troy were said to have killed the child of Hector to prevent him from growing up to seek revenge, and, while later Greek poets 22 The Morality of Everyday Life.
Page 23
... later Greek poets probed the moral dimensions of this act, few kin-based societies would absolutely condemn the decision. Prohibitions on theft and killing applied to friends and compatriots within a society and not, necessarily, to ...
... later Greek poets probed the moral dimensions of this act, few kin-based societies would absolutely condemn the decision. Prohibitions on theft and killing applied to friends and compatriots within a society and not, necessarily, to ...
Page 26
... later on, Christians) were misanthropists. Jewish suspicion of aliens extended even to the Samaritans, who deviated not much more from the standard Judaism of the day than one sect of modern Protestantism does from another. This is the ...
... later on, Christians) were misanthropists. Jewish suspicion of aliens extended even to the Samaritans, who deviated not much more from the standard Judaism of the day than one sect of modern Protestantism does from another. This is the ...
Page 39
... later facile pessimism, Johnson offered the mystery of a universe that was filled with joy as well as suffering. Instead of canting upon the theme of social injustice, Johnson advised patience and fortitude. He was no Stoic, because the ...
... later facile pessimism, Johnson offered the mystery of a universe that was filled with joy as well as suffering. Instead of canting upon the theme of social injustice, Johnson advised patience and fortitude. He was no Stoic, because the ...
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