The freedom paradox
Subtitle: towards a post-secular ethics
By: Clive Hamilton.
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2008
Place of publication: Crows Nest, N.S.W
Language: eng
Number of pages: 274
ISBN-13: 9781741755077
Subjects: Consumption (Economics) -- Moral and ethical aspects; Materialism -- Psychological aspects; Consumer behavior; Quality of life
Description: "Why is it so many of us lack contentment, despite all the wealth and freedoms we enjoy? The past two centuries delivered individual and political freedoms that promised unprecedented opportunities for personal fulfilment. Yet citizens of affluent countries are encouraged to pursue lives of consumerism, endless choice and the pleasures of the body. The paradox of modern consumer life is that we are deprived of our inner freedom by our very pursuit of our own desires. The author turns to metaphysics to find a source of transformation that lies beyond the cultural, political and social philosophies that form the bedrock of contemporary western thought. His search takes him to an unexpected conclusion: that we cannot be truly free unless we commit ourselves to a moral life"--Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 248-266) and index.