Karen Stohr draws primarily on Aristotle and Kant while referring to a wide range of cultural examples—from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm—to argue that good manners are an essential component of moral character.
What is the state of contemporary American morality? From their original conception in Christian scripture to their assimilation into Western culture, the 'Seven Deadly Sins' - lust, greed, envy, pride, and all the rest - have guided human morality, steering human behavior and psychology away from evil and toward a full embrace of the good. But their hold on modern life is increasingly tenuous. Indeed, one may observe that these days, deadly sin is far more common and more commonly practiced than its virtuous counterparts - humility, charity, kindness, industriousness, and chastity. Without greed, there is no economy; without anger, no politics; and without pride and envy, surely less motivation and competition would exist. James D. Wright carefully examines the complexities and ambiguities in modern society in the context of the seven deadly sins and their corresponding virtues. Are we all lost souls, condemned by our immoral deeds, or are the trappings of older sin deteriorating? Is it time, finally, to reconsider the classifications of evil and good? Wright uses each chapter to consider how the social sciences have operationalized each 'sin', how they have been studied, and what lessons have been learned over time. He reviews recent trends and contemplates the societal costs and benefits of the behaviors in question. Lost Souls emerges, then, as a meditation on contemporary sin, concluding that the line between guilt and innocence, right and wrong, is often very thin.
This book analyses English social and occupational behavioural ideals from the courtesy book's demise in 1774 to the Medical Act's passage in 1858. Ideals from conduct and etiquette books mix gracefully with those displayed by professional groups, particularly medical practitioners, in an analysis that challenges conventional thinking about class and social change in early-industrial England. Dr Morgan's study will be essential reading for British historians, as well as for all those interested in how individuals establish personal identity and infuse confidence into human relations in an impersonal, urban society.
Jane Austen's novels are not only still widely read, but they also continue to influence modern film and literature. In both their moral content and their focused, highly detailed, miniaturist execution, they reveal Austen's master of the art of fiction and her concern for Christian virtues exercised within communities. Her sharp wit and sense of irony entertain, edify, and challenge both men and women alike. From theological and literary angles, Leithart unpacks both character and theme while summarizing each of Austen's major works. For all who desire a richer appreciation of her enduring genius, Leithart offers a hearthside seat.
A lively and provocative account of Bernard Mandeville and the work that scandalized and appalled his contemporaries—and made him one of the most influential thinkers of the eighteenth century In 1714, doctor, philosopher and writer Bernard Mandeville published The Fable of the Bees, a humorous tale in which a prosperous hive full of greedy and licentious bees trade their vices for virtues and immediately fall into economic and societal collapse. Outrage among the reading public followed; philosophers took up their pens to refute what they saw as the fable’s central assertion. How could it be that an immoral community thrived but the introduction of morality caused it to crash and burn? In Man-Devil, John Callanan examines Mandeville and his famous fable, showing how its contentious claim—that vice was essential to the economic flourishing of any society—formed part of Mandeville’s overall theory of human nature. Mandeville, Callanan argues, was perfectly suited to analyze and satirize the emerging phenomenon of modern society—and reveal the gap between its self-image and its reality. Callanan shows that Mandeville’s thinking was informed by his medical training and his innovative approach to the treatment of illness with both physiological and psychological components. Through incisive and controversial analyses of sexual mores, gender inequality, economic structures, and political ideology, Mandeville sought to provide a naturalistic account of human behavior—one that put humans in close continuity with animals. Aware that his fellow human beings might find this offensive, he cloaked his theories in fables, poems, anecdotes, and humorous stories. Mandeville mastered irony precisely for the purpose of making us aware of uncomfortable aspects of our deepest natures—aspects that we still struggle to acknowledge today.
Analyzes the way in which Austen blends ironic criticism with moral affirmation through her complex and little-understood management of the narrative point of view.
This study offers an overall interpretation of Hume's Treatise of Human Nature. I have emphasized throughout the dialectic between associationism and a theory of critical judgment - the "combat" of Book I -which con tinues in Books II and III and with no apparent winner. A theory of critical judgment is fIrst worked out in Book I under what Hume calls "general rules." The theory explains how unreasonable judgments may be made reasonable and is made use of again in Book III to correct partial evalua tions. Two sorts of general rules compete for prescriptive claims and two sides of human nature, the untutored and the more cultivated and reflective, contribute to science and morality. of David Hume by Annette Baier I was fIrst introduced to the philosophy when she conducted a seminar on the Treatise at the Graduate Center of The City University of New York. Much of the enthusiasm I have sustained for Hume has been due to the teachings of Professor Baier and to the conversations I have had with her. I have profIted from the encouragement and suggestions of Nicholas Capaldi just prior to beginning the work. Charles Landesman, Martin Tamny, and Stephan Baumrin read earlier versions of the manuscript and offered many constructive criticisms. Joram Haber was readily available to hear out my ideas. I am grateful to my wife, Marianne, and children, Anna and Aaron, for their patience and support throughout the project.
This book is a unique reference for medical students, residents, and allied healthcare workers who are just entering the medical field. It outlines in an anecdotal, yet pedagogical manner what one should expect and what is expected of an individual when embarking on a career at a clinic or hospital. Organized into two sections, the book defines in clear terms student responsibilities, expectations, and appropriate collegial interactions through the implementation of historical, moral, and ethical narrative techniques. Chapters discuss the justification of “medical professionalism” as defined in medical school core curriculum, and how and why such ideological norms exist. The book employs clinical scenarios based on incidents chosen to illustrate appropriate behavioral guidelines. The book also addresses common but difficult interpersonal problems all practitioners deal with that require empathy including delivering bad news, working with families, sexual harassment, the importance of diversity, and burnout in the work place. Each chapter includes short biographies meant to give context of the integral role of medicine in the development of our modern complex diverse society. Comprehensive, socially conscious, and written in an engaging yet didactic narrative style, Manners, Morals, and Medical Care serves as an authentic source and a practical guide on the responsibilities of a practitioner when caring for patients.
This book examines Austen's novels in relation to her philosophical and religious context, demonstrating that the combination of the classical and theological traditions of the virtues is central to her work. Austen's heroines learn to confront the fundamental ethical question of how to live their lives. Instead of defining virtue only in the narrow sense of female sexual virtue, Austen opens up questions about a plurality of virtues. In fresh readings of the six completed novels, plus Lady Susan, Emsley shows how Austen's complex imaginative representations of the tensions among the virtues engage with and expand on classical and Christian ethical thought.