The quest for a moral compass
Subtitle: a global history of ethics
By: Kenan Malik
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 390
ISBN-13: 9781612194035
Subjects: Ethics; History
Description: This book explores the history of moral thought as it has developed over three millennia, from Homer's Greece to Mao's China, from ancient India to modern America. It tells the stories of the great philosophers, and breathes life into their ideas, while also challenging many of our most cherished moral beliefs. Engaging and provocative, This book confronts some of humanity's deepest questions. Where do values come from? Is God necessary for moral guidance? Are there absolute moral truths? It also brings morality down to earth, showing how, throughout history, social needs and political desires have shaped moral thinking. It is a history of the world told through the history of moral thought, and a history of moral thought that casts new light on global history. At a time of great social turbulence and moral uncertainty, there will be few histories more important than this.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-369) and index.
Table of contents: title: 1.; title: On the capriciousness of gods and the tragedy of Man -- -- 2.; title: Gods of reason -- -- 3.; title: On human flourishing -- -- 4.; title: Heaven and hell -- -- 5.; title: Nirvana -- -- 6.; title: The view from the mountains -- -- 7.; title: Faith and power -- -- 8.; title: Reason and Revelation -- -- 9.; title: The human challenge -- -- 10.; title: The revolutionary spirit and the reactionary soul -- -- 11.; title: The human triumph -- -- 12.; title: Passion, duty and consequence -- -- 13.; title: The challenge of history -- -- 14.; title: The death of God, the end of morality -- -- 15.; title: The anguish of freedom -- -- 16.; title: The ethics of liberation -- -- 17.; title: The unravelling of morality -- -- 18.; title: The search for ethical concrete -- -- 19.; title: Confucianism, communism and the clash of civilizations -- -- 20.; title: The Fall of Man.