Idleness: a philosophical essay

217 Pages·2018·1.235 MB·English

by  O'Connor, Brian

IDLENESS

IDLENESS
A PHILOSOPHICAL ESSAY
BRIAN O’CONNOR
Princeton University Press
Princeton and Oxford
Copyright © 2018 by Princeton University Press
Published by Princeton University Press,
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In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press,
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press.princeton.edu
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All Rights Reserved
ISBN 978-0- 691-16752-7
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018937064
British Library Cataloging- in- Publication Data is available
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For Jane and Anna

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Philosophy and Idleness 1
Chapter 1. Our Worthiness for Freedom 25
Chapter 2. Work, Idleness, and Respect 58
Chapter 3. The Challenges of Boredom 100
Chapter 4. Play as Idleness 135
Chapter 5. Idleness as Freedom 169
Notes 187
Index 201

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It was a pleasure to work with Ben Tate of Princeton
University Press, a source of good judgment ever since
our very first discussions on the idea of a book about
idleness. Fabian Freyenhagen, Owen Hulatt, Michael
Rosen, †Liberato Santoro- Brienza, and Tom Stern
were kind enough to offer a wide range of challenging
criticisms as well as valuable suggestions for texts and
passages I might consider. Many of the questions put
to me by colleagues at various conferences and collo-
quia, my own university included, made their mark.
Beth Gianfagna copyedited the manuscript with con-
siderable diligence. As ever, though, my greatest debt
is to Eileen Brennan for her endless insight and
support.