Thoreau's Living Ethics

Thoreau's Living Ethics
Author: Philip Cafaro
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2010-01-25
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0820336661

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Thoreau's Living Ethics is the first full, rigorous account of Henry Thoreau's ethical philosophy. Focused on Walden but ranging widely across his writings, the study situates Thoreau within a long tradition of ethical thinking in the West, from the ancients to the Romantics and on to the present day. Philip Cafaro shows Thoreau grappling with important ethical questions that agitated his own society and discusses his value for those seeking to understand contemporary ethical issues. Cafaro's particular interest is in Thoreau's treatment of virtue ethics: the branch of ethics centered on personal and social flourishing. Ranging across the central elements of Thoreau's philosophy—life, virtue, economy, solitude and society, nature, and politics—Cafaro shows Thoreau developing a comprehensive virtue ethics, less based in ancient philosophy than many recent efforts and more grounded in modern life and experience. He presents Thoreau's evolutionary, experimental ethics as superior to the more static foundational efforts of current virtue ethicists. Another main focus is Thoreau's environmental ethics. The book shows Thoreau not only anticipating recent arguments for wild nature's intrinsic value, but also demonstrating how a personal connection to nature furthers self-development, moral character, knowledge, and creativity. Thoreau's life and writings, argues Cafaro, present a positive, life-affirming environmental ethics, combining respect and restraint with an appreciation for human possibilities for flourishing within nature.

Thoreau's Living Ethics

Thoreau's Living Ethics
Author: Philip Cafaro
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2006
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 082032843X

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Thoreau's Living Ethics is the first full, rigorous account of Henry Thoreau's ethical philosophy. Focused on Walden but ranging widely across his writings, the study situates Thoreau within a long tradition of ethical thinking in the West, from the ancients to the Romantics and on to the present day. Philip Cafaro shows Thoreau grappling with important ethical questions that agitated his own society and discusses his value for those seeking to understand contemporary ethical issues. Cafaro's particular interest is in Thoreau's treatment of virtue ethics: the branch of ethics centered on personal and social flourishing. Ranging across the central elements of Thoreau's philosophy--life, virtue, economy, solitude and society, nature, and politics--Cafaro shows Thoreau developing a comprehensive virtue ethics, less based in ancient philosophy than many recent efforts and more grounded in modern life and experience. He presents Thoreau's evolutionary, experimental ethics as superior to the more static foundational efforts of current virtue ethicists. Another main focus is Thoreau's environmental ethics. The book shows Thoreau not only anticipating recent arguments for wild nature's intrinsic value, but also demonstrating how a personal connection to nature furthers self-development, moral character, knowledge, and creativity. Thoreau's life and writings, argues Cafaro, present a positive, life-affirming environmental ethics, combining respect and restraint with an appreciation for human possibilities for flourishing within nature.

Thoreau's Living Ethics

Thoreau's Living Ethics
Author: Philip Cafaro
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Total Pages: 287
Release: 2004
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0820326100

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"Cafaro's particular interest is in Thoreau's treatment of virtue ethics, the branch of ethics centered on personal and social flourishing. Ranging across the central elements of Thoreau's philosophy - life, virtue, economy, solitude and society, nature, and politics - Cafaro shows Thoreau developing a comprehensive virtue ethics, less based in ancient philosophy than many recent efforts and more grounded in modern life and experience. He presents Thoreau's evolutionary experimental ethics as superior to the more static foundational efforts of current virtue ethicists.".

Thoreau's Importance for Philosophy

Thoreau's Importance for Philosophy
Author: Rick Anthony Furtak
Publisher: Fordham Univ Press
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2012-08-14
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0823239306

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Although Henry David Thoreau's best-known book, Walden, is admired as a classic work of American literature, it has not yet been widely recognized as an important philosophical text. In fact, many academic philosophers would be reluctant to classify Thoreau as a philosopher at all. The purpose of this volume is to remedy this neglect, to explain Thoreau's philosophical significance, and to argue that we can still learn from his polemical conception of philosophy.Thoreau sought to establish philosophy as a way of life and to root our philosophical, conceptual affairs in more practical or existential concerns. His work provides us with a sustained meditation on the importance of leading our lives with integrity, avoiding what he calls "quiet desperation." The contributors to this volume approach Thoreau's writings from different angles. They explore his aesthetic views, his naturalism, his theory of self, his ethical principles, and his political stances. Most importantly, they show how Thoreau returns philosophy to its roots as the love of wisdom.

Thoreau's Nature

Thoreau's Nature
Author: Jane Bennett
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 180
Release: 2002
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780742521414

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Thoreau's Nature: Ethics, Politics, and the Wild explores how Thoreau crafted a life open to 'the Wild,' a term that marks the startling element of foreignness in every object of experience, however familiar. Thoreau's encounters with nature, Bennett argues, allowed him to resist his all-too-human tendency toward intellectual laziness, social conformity, and political complacency. Bennett pursues this theme by constructing a series of dialogues between Thoreau and our contemporaries: Foucault on identity and power, Haraway on the nature/culture of division, Hollywood celebrities on the Walden Woods Project, the National Endowment for the Humanities on politics and art, and Kafka on the question of political idealism. The pertinence to the late 20th century of Thoreau's pursuit of independent judgment, ecological foresight, and moral nobility becomes apparent through these engagements.

Henry David Thoreau and the Moral Agency of Knowing

Henry David Thoreau and the Moral Agency of Knowing
Author: Alfred I. Tauber
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 330
Release: 2003-05
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0520239156

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"Tauber's book is encyclopedic—not only a revealing and comprehensive study of Thoreau but also a full vision of the Romantic Weltanschauung and its relevance to contemporary concerns in philosophy, science, and poetics. While this scope is wildly ambitious, Tauber admirably delivers, always informing his parts with the whole, consistently altering the whole with his parts."—Eric Wilson, author of Emerson's Sublime Science "In arguing for the centrally moral and ethical value of Thoreau's works, Tauber is taking a brave stance in these slippery postmodern times…. It's one thing to praise Thoreau for his opposition to the Mexican War, his philosophy of passive resistance, and his fervent opposition to slavery. It's quite another to argue that his entire project—his whole sense of identity, self-formation, and his relation to nature—is part of a deeply moral enterprise….Thoreau's modernity has been defined in many ways in recent years. Tauber adds another important and distinctive dimension to this discussion."—H. Daniel Peck, John Guy Vassar Professor of English, Vassar College

Thoreau's Religion

Thoreau's Religion
Author: Alda Balthrop-Lewis
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 333
Release: 2021-01-21
Genre: History
ISBN: 1108835104

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Boldly reconfigures Walden for contemporary ethics and politics by recovering Thoreau's theological vision of environmental justice.

Life Without Principle

Life Without Principle
Author: Henry David Thoreau
Publisher: Namaskar Book
Total Pages: 29
Release: 2024-02-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

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Delve into the profound reflections on ethics and materialism with "Life Without Principle: Henry David Thoreau's Reflections on Ethics and Materialism" by Henry David Thoreau. Join the esteemed philosopher and writer as he challenges the status quo and contemplates the true essence of a meaningful life. As you explore Thoreau's thought-provoking essays, prepare to be inspired by his uncompromising stance against the pressures of materialism and consumerism. Through his eloquent prose and deep insights, Thoreau encourages readers to question conventional wisdom and live with integrity. But beyond the critique of modern society, "Life Without Principle" delves into deeper philosophical questions about the nature of ethics, happiness, and the pursuit of truth. Thoreau's timeless wisdom serves as a guiding light for those seeking a more authentic and purposeful existence. Yet, amidst the moral dilemmas and existential reflections, a profound question emerges: What can we learn from Thoreau's exploration of ethics and materialism, and how do his ideas resonate with our own lives? Engage with Thoreau's profound insights through contemplative reading and introspective reflection. His essays provoke deep thought and invite readers to reconsider their values and priorities in a world consumed by material pursuits. Now, as you ponder the principles outlined by Thoreau, consider this: How can his reflections on ethics and materialism inspire us to lead more intentional and fulfilling lives? Don't miss the opportunity to gain invaluable wisdom from "Life Without Principle." Acquire your copy today and embark on a transformative journey towards a life guided by integrity, purpose, and moral clarity. ```

Natural Life

Natural Life
Author: David Robinson
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2004
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780801443138

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Robinson tells the story of a mind at work, focusing on Thoreau's idea of "natural life" as both a subject of study and a model for personal growth and ethical purpose. "The best, most thoughtful, most carefully worked out account of Thoreau's major ideas."--Robert D. Richardson, Jr., author of "Emerson: The Mind on Fire"

Henry David Thoreau and the Moral Agency of Knowing

Henry David Thoreau and the Moral Agency of Knowing
Author: Alfred I. Tauber
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 340
Release: 2001-05-07
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780520937338

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In his graceful philosophical account, Alfred I. Tauber shows why Thoreau still seems so relevant today—more relevant in many respects than he seemed to his contemporaries. Although Thoreau has been skillfully and thoroughly examined as a writer, naturalist, mystic, historian, social thinker, Transcendentalist, and lifelong student, we may find in Tauber's portrait of Thoreau the moralist a characterization that binds all these aspects of his career together. Thoreau was caught at a critical turn in the history of science, between the ebb of Romanticism and the rising tide of positivism. He responded to the challenges posed by the new ideal of objectivity not by rejecting the scientific worldview, but by humanizing it for himself. Tauber portrays Thoreau as a man whose moral vision guided his life's work. Each of Thoreau's projects reflected a self-proclaimed "metaphysical ethics," an articulated program of self-discovery and self-knowing. By writing, by combining precision with poetry in his naturalist pursuits and simplicity with mystical fervor in his daily activity, Thoreau sought to live a life of virtue—one he would characterize as marked by deliberate choice. This unique vision of human agency and responsibility will still seem fresh and contemporary to readers at the start of the twenty-first century.