Living Without Philosophy: On Narrative, Rhetoric, and MoralitySUNY Press, 1998 M01 1 - 292 pages Living Without Philosophy argues that we do not need ethical theories, rules, and principles to decide what is right. Instead, particular cases can be judged by a detailed description of the relevant circumstances. When our judgments differ, we can decide how to act by deliberating under fair conditions. The author provides both a philosophical argument for this position and readings of literary texts in which moral theorists are portrayed as concrete characters. These works include Plato's Protagoras, selections from the Gospels and Dante, Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy, the debate between Erasmus and Luther, Erasmus's Praise of Folly, Shakespeare's King Lear, Nabokov's Lolita, and Martin Luther King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Thus, Levine offers essentially a moral argument for the humanities, discussing the implications not only for ethics, but also for theology, law, politics, and education. |
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... Renaissance Humanism versus Scholasticism Humanist Methods of Interpretation The Educational and Political Ideals of the Humanists Erasmus and Christian Humanism Luther as Humanist Erasmus versus Luther 7. The Wise Fool The Praise of ...
... Renaissance Humanism versus Scholasticism Humanist Methods of Interpretation The Educational and Political Ideals of the Humanists Erasmus and Christian Humanism Luther as Humanist Erasmus versus Luther 7. The Wise Fool The Praise of ...
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abstract actions argue argument Aristotle Aristotle's aspect-seeing asserts behavior believe Boethius Boethius's characters Christ Christian claims concrete consensus context Cordelia criticism culture debate defend described dialectic dialogue discussion divine doctrine Edgar Erasmus Erasmus's ethical evil example experience fact Folly fool Gloucester Goneril Greek Hardy's Harris Hippocrates human humanists Humbert Ibid ideas imitation interpretation Jesus judge justice Kant Kent kind King Lear language-games literal literary literature logical Lolita Luther means metaphysical method moral judgments moral theory Nabokov narrative nature Nicomachean Ethics offer particular person perspective philosophers Plato poetry political position Praise of Folly principles Protagoras Protagoras's questions rational reason Renaissance Renaissance humanism rhetoric says scholastic scholasticism scripture seems sexual harassment Similarly Simonides skepticism Skopas Socrates someone Sophists speech story tell Theaetetus theology thick description things tragedy true truth utilitarianism virtue Vladimir Nabokov wisdom Wittgenstein words writes