All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Secular AgeAn inspirational book that is “a smart, sweeping run through the history of Western philosophy. Important for the way it illuminates life today and for the controversial advice it offers on how to live” (The New York Times). “What constitutes human excellence?” and “What is the best way to live a life?” These are questions that human beings have been asking since the beginning of time. In their critically acclaimed book, All Things Shining, Hubert Dreyfus and Sean Dorrance Kelly argue that our search for meaning was once fulfilled by our responsiveness to forces greater than ourselves, whether one God or many. These forces drew us in and imbued the ordinary moments of life with wonder and gratitude. Dreyfus and Kelly argue in this thought-provoking work that as we began to rely on the power of our own independent will we lost our skill for encountering the sacred. Through their original and transformative discussion of some of the greatest works of Western literature, from Homer’s Odyssey to Melville’s Moby Dick, Dreyfus and Kelly reveal how we have lost our passionate engagement with the things that gave our lives purpose, and show how, by reading our culture’s classics anew, we can once again be drawn into intense involvement with the wonder and beauty of the world. Well on its way to becoming a classic itself, this inspirational book will change the way we understand our culture, our history, our sacred practices, and ourselves. |
Contents
David Foster Wallaces Nihilism | 22 |
Homers Polytheism | 58 |
Monotheism | 88 |
The Attractions and Dangers | 118 |
Fanaticism Polytheism and Melvilles Evil Art | 143 |
Lives Worth Living in a Secular Age | 190 |
Epilogue | 224 |
Other editions - View all
All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a ... Hubert Dreyfus,Sean Dorrance Kelly No preview available - 2011 |
All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a ... Hubert Dreyfus,Sean Dorrance Kelly No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
actions Aeschylus Aeschylus’s agape Ahab Ahab's Albert Borgmann articulate Athena Athenian Augustine Autrey Beatrice bliss Bulkington called Canto Christian contemporary contrast culture Dante Dante’s David Foster Wallace Descartes described desires divine Divine Comedy domain Drinion embodied eternal event everything example existence existential experience feel final Furies Gehrig Gilbert God’s gods gratitude Helen Hell Homer’s world Homeric Greeks human Ibid idea important Infinite Infinite Jest inner Ishmael Jesus Kant kind live look Luther meaning meaningful medieval Melville Melville's Moby Dick modern monotheism mood Nietzsche nihilism notion Odysseus one’s Oresteia ourselves paradigm perhaps phenomenon philosophical physis play polytheism polytheistic Queequeg question recognize reconfigurer reveal ritual sacred says secular age seems sense situation skill soul Sperm Whale stand story Things Shining thought tion tradition trans truth turn ultimate understanding universe Wallace's Wesley Autrey wonder writing York Zeus