The Myth of Luck: Philosophy, Fate, and Fortune

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Humanity has thrown everything we have at implacable lucknovel theologies, entire philosophical movements, fresh branches of mathematicsand yet we seem to have gained only the smallest edge on the power of fortune. The Myth of Luck tells us why we have been fighting an unconquerable foe. Taking us on a guided tour of one of our oldest concepts, we begin in ancient Greece and Rome, considering how Plato, Plutarch, and the Stoics understood luck, before entering the theoretical world of probability and exploring how luck relates to theology, sports, ethics, gambling, knowledge, and present-day psychology. As we travel across traditions, times and cultures, we come to realize that its not that as soon as we solve one philosophical problem with luck that two more appear, like heads on a hydra, but rather that the monster is altogether mythological. We cannot master luck because there is nothing to defeat: luck is no more than a persistent and troubling illusion. By introducing us to compelling arguments and convincing reasons that explain why there is no such thing as luck, we finally see why in a very real sense we make our own luck, that luck is our own doing. The Myth of Luck helps us to regain our own agency in the world - telling the entertaining story of the philosophy and history of luck along the way.

Reviews

A fascinating discourse on the nature and significance of luck that draws on a diverse range of sources; a delightful and enlightening journey. * Duncan Pritchard, UC Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine, USA *
In this book, Steven Hales challenges what we often take to be uncontentious assumptions about luck and its significance in our lives, both morally and epistemically. The result is a novel and provocative account of luck, one that will be an important reference point for future work in the area. * J. Adam Carter, Lecturer of Philosophy, University of Glasgow, UK *
A lively, richly illustrated romp through a deep human topic, all in hopes of freeing us from Lady Fortuna's grip. We confuse luck for chance and fortune, Hales suggests, and we re-gain our sense of agency by knowing which is which. * Aaron James, author of Assholes: A Theory and Surfing with Sartre, and Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine, USA *

Author Bio

Steven D. Hales, Ph.D. (Brown) is Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, USA. He works primarily in metaphysics and epistemology, and also in popular philosophy. He has been a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Cambridge, Turin, Edinburgh, and London. He is an award-winning writer and teacher, and has published numerous books and articles. Find him at stevenhales.org.