How Should We Live?: A Practical Approach to Everyday Morality

263 Pages·2019·0.935 MB·English

by  John Kekes

How Should We Live?

How Should We Live?
A PrActicAl APPro Ach to EvEryd Ay MorAlity
John Kekes
The University of Chicago Press
Chicago and London
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London
© 2014 by The University of Chicago
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief
quotations in critical articles and reviews. For more information, contact
the University of Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637.
Published 2014
Paperback edition 2019
Printed in the United States of America
28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19  1 2 3 4 5
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-15565-4 (cloth)
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-63907-9 (paper)
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-15579-1 (e-book)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226155791.001.0001
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kekes, John, author.
  How should we live? : a practical approach to everyday morality /
 John Kekes.
   pages cm
  Includes bibliographical references and index.
  ISBN 978-0-226-15565-4 (cloth : alk. paper)
  ISBN 978-0-226-15579-1 (e-book)
  1. Ethics. 2. Conduct of life. I. Title.
 BJ1012.K4234 2014
 170—dc23
2014007329
♾ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48- 1992
(Permanence of Paper).
For JYK

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
1 iNtroductioN 1
The Problem and the Project 1
Conflicts 4
Real Lives 6
Ideal Theories 8
The Argument 11
2 ABSolutiSt Mor Ality 13
The School Teacher 15
Absolutist Morality 18
Commitments 23
Overriding Commitments? 29
A Dilemma 32
3 iNdividuAl AutoNoMy  35
The Lawyer 36
Autonomy 38
Misguided Theorizing 43
The Divided Self 48
Ambivalence and Understanding 52
4 rEflEctivE SElf-E v AluAtioN 57
The Dutiful Man 58
Self- Evaluation 60
Real Lives and Ideal Theory 65
Contingency 70
Justification 74
5 uNcoNditioNAl lovE  81
The Father 82
Love 85
Problems 90
Sentimentalism 95
Love within Reason 100
6 StroNg EvAluAtioN 103
The Nurse 104
Strong Evaluation 106
Doubts 110
Capacity or Activity? 114
Fact or Ideal? 117
Loss 121
7 NArrAtivE uNity 125
The Civil Servant 126
The Narrative Ideal 128
Criticism 133
Are Narratives Reliable? 139
The Ideal and the Real 143
8 PrActicAl rEASo N 147
The Divided Woman 149
Practical Reason 151
Complexities 155
All Things Considered 159
What Reason Requires and Allows 164
9 iNEScAPABlE rEflEctio N 169
The Dean 171
Reflection 173
Knowledge 177
Confidence 182
The Route Back 187
10 NEcESSAry truthfulNESS  191
The Betrayed Woman 193
Genealogy 195
Criticisms 197
Vindicatory Genealogies 202
Subversive Genealogies 204
The Very Idea of Genealogies 207
Truthfulness and the Practical Approach 212
11 coNcluSio N 215
The Practical Approach 215
The Error of Omission 220
Impracticality 222
Implausibility 224
Notes 227
Bibliography 241
Index 249