The Philosophical Life

Resumen del libro

We all want to know how to live. But before the good life was reduced to ten easy steps or a prescription from the doctor, philosophers offered arresting answers to the most fundamental questions about who we are and what makes for a life worth living

In The Philosophical Life, James Miller returns to this vibrant tradition with short, lively biographies of twelve famous philosophers. Socrates spent his life examining himself and the assumptions of others. His most famous student, Plato, risked his reputation to tutor a tyrant. Diogenes carried a bright lamp in broad daylight and announced he was "looking for a man." And Nietzsche tried to get to grips with the human condition before he lapsed into catatonic madness.

With a flair for paradox and rich anecdote, The Philosophical Life is a book that confirms the continuing relevance of philosophy today and explores the most urgent questions about what it means to live a good life.