Enjoyment: the moral significance of styles of life

304 Pages·2010·1.093 MB·English

by  Kekes, John

Enjoyment
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Enjoyment
The Moral Significance of Styles
of Life
John Kekes
CLARENDON PRESS · OXFORD
2008
1
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Contents
Part One: Introduction 1
1. A Grace to be Cultivated 3
Part Two: Styles of Life 19
2. Pursuing our Own Good 21
3. Personal Evaluation 38
4. The Importance of Manner 53
Part Three: The Evaluation of Styles of Life 73
5. A Great and Rare Art 75
6. Three-Dimensional Morality 94
7. The Uses of Reason in Morality 118
Part Four: Some Particular Styles of Life 141
8. A Most Perfect Gentleman 143
9. A Morbid Romantic 161
10. AnEnemy of Happiness 178
11. A Wise and Virtuous Man 196
12. A Certain Gaiety of Heart 215
13. The Rightful Enjoyment of our Being 234
Part Five: Conclusion 253
14. The Felicity we Make or Find 255
Notes 271
Works Cited 283
Index 291
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Acknowledgments
In Chapter 7 I make use of an argument I first discussed in Chapter 10 of
The Roots of Evil (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2005). Chapter 8
owes much to my conversations many years ago with Shirley Letwin. I
regretthat she is no longer alive to see the results of our very fruitful talks.
An earlier version of Chapter 9 was read and helpfully commented on by
Roger Haydon, Jean Y. Kekes, and Noel O’Sullivan. The final version of
the chapter incorporates many of their suggestions and I am grateful for
their help. In Chapter 13 I recycle a few passages from Chapter 12 of The
ArtofLife (Ithaca,NY:CornellUniversityPress,2002).Thiswholechapter
reflects much that I have gained from reading Ann Hartle’s book Michel de
Montaigne: Accidental Philosopher (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2003)and from our correspondence over the years. My understanding of
Montaigne has benefited greatly from her work and comments.
I am grateful to Peter Momtchiloff, my editor of Oxford University
Press, for the many ways in which he has helped to make the typescript
into a book.
John Kekes
Ithaka
Charlton
New York