Philosophy for Life: Applying Philosophy in Politics and Culture

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Philosophy for Life is a bold call for the practice of philosophy in our everyday lives. Philosopher and writer Rupert Read explores a series of important and often provocative contemporary political and cultural issues from a philosophical perspective, arguing that philosophy is not a body of doctrine, but a practice, a vantage point from which life should be analysed and, more importantly, acted upon. Philosophy for Life is a personal journey that explores four key areas of society today:Politics, Religion, Art, and the Environment. Taking tangible examples from modern politics, from climate change to the war on terror, and culture, from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy to the poetry of T.S. Eliot, Read shows that philosophyis already an active part of today's world. This captivating and timelybook offers a philosophical response to some of the key questions facing today's society and encourages us to use philosophy as a kind of therapy. Philosophy for Lifeshows that we canimprove our perspective on the world and our place in it by doing philosophy everyday.

Reviews

"Although the language of philosophy can sometimes be arcane, Rupert uses examples from everyday life to show how his subject is part of today's world." Reviewed by Molly Scott-Cato in Greenworld, Spring 2008

Author Bio

M. A. Lavery is a PhD candidate in Philosophy at the University of East Anglia, UK. He has previously published on literature and philosophy, including a recent article in The International Journal of Applied Ethics. Rupert Read is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of East Anglia, UK. He is a former spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion collective, an environmental activist and a former Green Party councillor. His most recent books include Extinction Rebellion: Insights from the Inside (with Samuel Alexander) (2020), This Civilisation is Finished: Conversations on the end of Empire - and what lies beyond (2019) and A film-philosophy of ecology and enlightenment (2018).