The Best Things in Life: A Guide to What Really Matters (Philosophy in Action)
What did poet Philip Larkin mean by the “catching of happiness”? Should we, in any case, spend our lives chasing happiness, or should we instead cultivate virtue or knowledge? Exploring such questions, Hurka surveys the range of human goods and investigates the ways a reflective person can make meaningful choices in fostering these goods. And though Hurka challenges the hedonist’s belief that pleasure defines goodness, he rejects the narrow orthodoxies of the Stoics and the classical Greek philosophers, arguing that a good life can take many different forms. A competitive athlete may thus enjoy as full a life as a compassionate physician. But the satisfactions of any life path—as Hurka recognizes—depend heavily on loving companions. Acute analysis illuminates how human relationships change and enlarge us. Religious readers may wish that Hurka had invested comparable effort in considering how faith can likewise transform life—and death. But all readers will thank Hurka for his fresh insights into the fundamental challenges everyone faces in journeying from cradle to grave. --Bryce Christensen