Why It's Hard To Be Good
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- $45.99
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- $45.99
Publisher Description
In a series of brief chapters, Al Gini lays out ideas for 'stepping out of the shadow of the self' - an argument for stopping thinking of yourself as the centre of the universe. It's hard to be good, he explains, until we realize that being good only has meaning in relation to other people. Ideas of justice, fairness, and ethical behavior are just that - abstract ideas - until they are put into action with regard to people outside ourselves.
We may worry too much about good versus evil - big concepts that give us plenty of room to sit on the right side of the equation, he argues. Instead, we need to be thinking about how being good involves an active relationship toward others. Being good all by yourself may not be good enough. This warm and generous book is for anyone who wants to know how to use ethical thinking as way to live, work, and be with others.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Philosophy professor Gini's (The Importance of Being Lazy) approach to ethics and morality is as close an approximation of fun as is likely to be found on the road to discovering what is right and what is wrong (and why). Gini first explains, in user-friendly terms, the nebulous notion of narcissism, which he uses as a foundation for his examinations of ethical challenges at work, at play, in the bedroom and in death, and how each drives both unethical and ethical behavior. Festering at the root of contemporary America, Gini argues, is "a reluctance to do the right thing," a result of the belief "that the pursuit and achievement of happiness is part of our God-given birthright." Gini did not design his book as a self-help text, but as a tool for readers to use in considering their own conscience, character and integrity. (Each of which he defines.) Not one to preach, Gini acknowledges the American love affair with outlaws, concluding the only lovable bad guys are the ones who ultimately consider the consequences of their actions and their own mortality. Gini provides enough conversation material to lead his audience toward substantive discussions about how to be virtuous in a media-saturated culture that reinforces individual pursuits and pleasures.
