The Uses of Pessimism

The Uses of Pessimism
Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Total Pages : 240
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0199798990
ISBN-13 : 9780199798995
Rating : 4/5 (995 Downloads)

Book Synopsis The Uses of Pessimism by : Roger Scruton

Download or read book The Uses of Pessimism written by Roger Scruton and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-10-04 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ranging widely over human history and culture, from ancient Greece to the current global economic downturn, Scruton makes a counterintuitive yet persuasive case that optimists and idealists -- with their ignorance about the truths of human nature and human society, and their naive hopes about what can be changed -- have wrought havoc for centuries. Scruton's argument is nuanced, however, and his preference for pessimism is not a dark view of human nature; rather his is a 'hopeful pessimism' which urges that instead of utopian efforts to reform human society or human nature, we focus on the only reform that we can truly master -- the improvement of ourselves through the cultivation of our better instincts. Written in Scruton's trademark style-- erudite, sweeping in scope across centuries and cultures, and unafraid to offend-- this book is sure to intrigue and provoke readers concerned with the state of Western culture, the nature of human beings, and the question of whether social progress is truly possible.


The Uses of Pessimism Related Books

The Uses of Pessimism
Language: en
Pages: 240
Authors: Roger Scruton
Categories: Philosophy
Type: BOOK - Published: 2010-10-04 - Publisher: Oxford University Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Ranging widely over human history and culture, from ancient Greece to the current global economic downturn, Scruton makes a counterintuitive yet persuasive case
Cosmic Pessimism
Language: en
Pages: 44
Authors: Eugene Thacker
Categories: Philosophy
Type: BOOK - Published: 2016-03-01 - Publisher: U of Minnesota Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

“We’re doomed.” So begins the work of the philosopher whose unabashed and aphoristic indictments of the human condition have been cropping up recently in
Learned Optimism
Language: en
Pages: 336
Authors: Martin E.P. Seligman
Categories: Self-Help
Type: BOOK - Published: 2011-08-10 - Publisher: Vintage

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

National Bestseller The father of the new science of positive psychology and author of Authentic Happiness draws on more than twenty years of clinical research
Buying at the Point of Maximum Pessimism
Language: en
Pages: 375
Authors: Scott Phillips
Categories: Business & Economics
Type: BOOK - Published: 2010-05-05 - Publisher: FT Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

“Sir John’s ability to comprehend complex concepts and distill these into money-making ideas for his investors was legendary. With this book, Scott Phillips
The Uses of Pessimism
Language: en
Pages: 240
Authors: Roger Scruton
Categories: Philosophy
Type: BOOK - Published: 2010-10-04 - Publisher: Oxford University Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Ranging widely over human history and culture, from ancient Greece to the current global economic downturn, Scruton makes a counterintuitive yet persuasive case