Varieties of happiness : eudaimonism and Greek ethical theory /
"Almost all scholars maintain that ancient Greek ethical theory operates within a "eudaimonist framework". This book critically examines what it is for an ethical theory to be eudaimonist and how and to what extent this makes an ethical theory distinct. Plainly, if a theory is eudaimo...
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
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New York, NY :
Oxford University Press,
[2025]
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | "Almost all scholars maintain that ancient Greek ethical theory operates within a "eudaimonist framework". This book critically examines what it is for an ethical theory to be eudaimonist and how and to what extent this makes an ethical theory distinct. Plainly, if a theory is eudaimonist, then the notion of eudaimonia (happiness) must play a crucial role. This book argues, however, that although it is true that ancient philosophers discuss eudaimonia frequently, it is far less clear that it plays a role in their ethical theories such that it makes for a distinctive kind of theory. In particular, it argues, first, that merely discussing what makes a human life happy is insufficient for a theory to be eudaimonist; any philosopher might have views about what a happy life is, without that making their mode of ethical reasoning and deliberation distinctly eudaimonist. The book identifies and critically analyzes three further roles that eudaimonia may play, which, individually or jointly, have been thought sufficient to make a theory eudaimonist: (1) as a comprehensive practical principle; (2) as a concept that can provide content for virtuous action; (3) as a grounding, justification, or motivation to pursue virtue"-- |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (unpaged) |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and indexes. |
| ISBN: | 9780197645086 0197645089 9780197645093 0197645097 9780197645079 0197645070 |