Of democracy and its discontents, with a resonant defense of what winston churchill called the least bad of all systems. The good book begins with genesis, where you can see the ideas of darwin laid out in an inspirational way. In 2011 he founded and became the first master of new college of the humanities, an independent undergraduate college in london. Grayling has done, creating a nonreligious bible drawn from the wealth of secular. Among his many books are liberty in the age of terror, the god argument, democracy and its crisis and the history of philosophy. The good book is an inspired work of insight, wisdom, solace, and commentary on the human condition drawn from the worlds great humanist traditions of thought and literature, western and easter alike.
The difference between the two men is clear from the way they write. Grayling is professor of philosophy and master of the new college of the humanities at northeastern, london. He is the author of the acclaimed among the dead cities, descartes, toward the light of liberty, meditations for the humanist, and thinking of answers. A secular bible 1st edition by grayling, professor a. Building a booklength argument around his contention that the seventeenth century is the moment when one worldview was displaced by another because the scientific displaced that of faith, grayling paints a picture of astronomers, mathematicians, medical doctors, and even alchemists often reaching conclusions that even they dearly hoped werent true because the answers meant opposing.
Though wars are terrible and destructive, they also seem unavoidable. Less coldly clinical in tone than richard dawkins, less aggressively combative than. The good book is a book of insight, inspiration, wisdom, solace and commentary on the human condition drawn from the great humanist traditions of thought and literature of the world. Auto suggestions are available once you type at least 3 letters. Campaigners believe a proeu pact could impact 158 seats and remove. Grayling believes, distracts from seeking the good life in the. Grayling s lucid and stimulating books, based on the idea that philosophy should engage with the world and make itself useful, invariably cause discussion.
A c grayling ebooks epub and pdf downloads ebookmall. Reading through this i was really pleasantly surprised at how much i liked it. Until 2011 he was professor of philosophy at birkbeck college, university of london. He proposes that a deeper, more accurate understanding of war may enable us to reduce its frequency, mitigate its horrors, and lessen the burden of its consequences.
Grayling s the history of philosophy accurately offers itself as a successor to russells classic survey with some key differences. The history and moral legacy of the wwii bombing of civilians in germany and japan, descartes. The challenge of things joins earlier collections like the reason of things and thinking of answers, but this time to collect grayling s recent writings on the world in a time of war and. The good book by ac grayling of the three contemporary prophets of atheism, professor richard dawkins, christopher hitchens and professor ac grayling, i know two, hitchens and. The challenge of things joins earlier collections such as the reason of things and thinking of answers, collecting grayling s recent writings on the world in a time of war and conflict. A fellow of the world economic forum and past chairman of the human rights organization june fourth, he contributes frequently to the times london, the. The best books on being good five books expert recommendations. Grayling oxford university dphil abstract in his major new book a. Join us for this intriguing talk at lancaster library as a.
Apr 03, 2011 the good book mirrors the bible in both form and language, and is, as its author says, ambitious and hubristic a distillation of the best that has been thought and said by people whove. He is the author of the acclaimed among the dead cities. Drawn from the wealth of secular literature and philosophy in both western and eastern traditions, using the same techniques of editing, redaction, and adaptation that produced the holy books of the judeochristian and islamic religions, the good book consciously takes its design and presentation from the bible. Michael page has been recording audiobooks since 1984 and has over two hundred titles to his credit. Anthony grayling ma, dphil oxon frsl, frsa is master of the new. The age of genius explores the eventful intertwining of outward event and inner intellectual life to tell, in all its richness and depth, the story of the 17th century in europe. While the title listed in the add is the good book. Instead, going back to traditions older than christianity, and far richer and more various, including the nontheistic philosophical. Grayling explores what the good state could look like. Britains brexit referendum, in which, by the authors account. The best books on ideas that matter five books expert.
Note that grayling lays his book out like the bible with similar referencing. A book of extraordinary audacity from a remarkable thinkera secular. Grayling is master of the new college of the humanities london. Grayling has always tended to be regarded as the good cop. The prisoners, the earthquake, and the midnight song. Until june 2011, he was professor of philosophy at birkbeck, university of london. Grayling is a professor of philosophy at birkbeck college, university of london.
This copy is in fine condition in a near fine dustwrapper. A growing number of labour mps want the party to enter a remain alliance at the next election. Listen to unlimited audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. He was born in northern rhodesia now zambia and spent most of his childhood there and in nyasaland now malawi. The book was designed as a secular alternative to religious text, and to be read as a narrative drawing on nonreligious philosophy, including that from ancient greek, chinese, roman, indian and arab civilizations, as well as the european renaissance and the age of enlightenment. Grayling, 97814088748, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Anthony grayling was a fellow of the world economic forum for several years, and a member of its c 100 group on relations between the west and the islamic world.
The good book consciously takes its design and presentation from the bible, in the beauty of its language and its arrangement into short chapters and verses, offering to the nonreligious seeker all the wisdom, insight, solace, inspiration, and perspective of various secular humanist traditions. A secular bible, the title appearing on my copies are, the good book. He is also a supernumerary fellow of st annes college at oxford university. One of the most fundamental questions in our life is to find out what we value what principles we want to live by and which codes we will use to guide our behaviour. The life and times of a genius, toward the light of liberty. Im used to this language being peppered with things i dont believe in, and listening to it at weddings or funerals generally gives me a lump in my stomach.
Grayling is master of the new college of the humanities, and a supernumerary fellow of st annes college, oxford. Grayling, britains most popular and widely read philosopher, has created a secular bible. He has been a regular contributor to the times, guardian, financial times, independent on sunday, economist, new statesman, prospect and new. The struggles for freedom and rights that made the modern western world, and, most recently, the good book. Inspired by the work of herodotus and lucretius, confucius and mencius, seneca and cicero, montaigne, bacon, and so many others, the good book will fulfill its audacious purpose in every way. Few, if any, thinkers and writers today would have the imagination, the breadth of knowledge, and the literary skill to conceive of a powerful secular alternative to the bible.
The good book is a manifesto for rational thought, but mirrors the bible in both form and language. Grayling makes the case for a clear, consistent, principled and written constitution, and sets out the reforms necessary among them addressing the imbalance of power between government and parliament, imposing fixed terms for mps, introducing proportional representation and lowering the voting age to 16 the age at which you can marry. A celebration of tribal peoples, released in october 2009. Discover book depositorys huge selection of a c grayling books online.
It was a time of creativity unparalleled in history before or since, from science to the arts, from philosophy to politics. Stimulating, thoughtful, rational and rewarding, it is now published in a compact edition. In august 2014, grayling was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to the guardian opposing scottish independence in the runup to septembers referendum on that issue. And much like the bestselling king james bible, which is celebrating its 400th year, his book is written in a type of english that transcends time. Grayling answers the most important question how do we live a good life. Grayling is the author of around 30 books, including what is good.
This book is an accessible, lively and thoughtprovoking series of linked commentaries, based on a. This 700 page book is written in the same format as the bible with the modern numbering of sections of the bible. The good book consciously takes its design and presentation from the bible, in the beauty of its language and its pdf arrangement into short chapters and verses, offering to the nonreligious seeker all the wisdom, insight, solace, inspiration, and perspective of various secular humanist traditions. A humanist bible with a somewhat annoying radio host. The good book cant be bettered the philosopher ac grayling has created a secular bible, but its guidance for a good life fails to convince genevieve fox. Until june 2011, he was professor of philosophy at birkbeck, university of london, where he taught from 1991. Questions in the philosophy of everyday life by grayling, a. Our cheap used books come with free delivery in australia. Grayling examines the different ways to live a good life, as proposed from classical antiquity to the recent. Its principal concern is how life the good life should be lived. Grayling je autor oko 30 knjiga o filozofiji, ukljucujuci opovrgavanje skepticizma the refutation of scepticism, 1985. Designed to be read as narrative and also to be dipped into for inspiration, encouragement and consolation, the good book offers a thoughtful, nonreligious alternative to the many people who do not follow one of the worlds great religions. Ac grayling bbc video interview tackling the good book the sydney morning herald the new atheists are responding, not attacking new humanist pressing questions for our century edge ac grayling s top 5 nonreligious books slate a.
Grayling explains he has spent several decades on his ambitious project, distilling what he. Its aim is not to persuade readers to accept one particular philosophical point of view or theory, but to help us consider the wonderful range of insights which can be drawn from an. Grayling s lucid and stimulating books, based on the idea that philosophy should engage with the world and make itself useful, are immensely popular. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
He is a fellow of the royal society of literature and a fellow of the royal society of arts. Drawing on the wisdom of 2,500 years of contemplative nonreligious writing on all that it means to be human from the origins of the universe to small matters of courtesy and kindness in everyday life a. A secular bible, the philosopher sets out his manifesto for rational thought. Grayling,michael page for free with a 30 day free trial. Grayling, what is good the search for the best way. Grayling was one of the contributors to the book, we are one. Grayling discusses creating a nonreligious bible that draws from the wealth of secular literature and philosophy in both western and eastern traditions. Determined to make his material accessible, grayling arranged his nearly 600page good book much like the bible, with double columns, chapters the first is even called genesis and short verses. Grayling examines the different ways to live a good life, as proposed from classical antiquity to the recent present. In that book, the choice of hercules, where i discuss the tension between the good life in the sybaritic sense of wine, women and song, and on the other hand the good life in the sense of the puritan virtues, my argument is that they are both important, and that a blend of the two is constitutive of a third and better version of the good life. The good state, on the principles of democracy by a. Around 20 mps want to work with other parties, im told.
The good book 890 printed pages drawing on the wisdom of 2,500 years of contemplative nonreligious writing on all that it means to be human from the origins of the universe to small matters of courtesy and kindness in everyday life a. A c grayling ebooks epub and pdf format a c grayling ebooks. Essential readings for the nonbeliever, and the good book, and more on. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Jul 26, 2012 the good book is a manifesto for rational thought, but mirrors the bible in both form and language. Williams ma, mphil, philosopher in residence at the damaris trust, assistant professor in communication and worldviews, gimlekollen school of journalism and communication, norway. Grayling is this wonderfully incisive book, but it is the main ingredient in everything that makes the world a better place and indeed meditations. Two recent developments, writes grayling philosophynew coll.
Designed to be read as narrative and also to be dipped into for inspiration, encouragement and consolation, the good book offers a thoughtful, nonreligious. Grayling, in oxford, england, spent 30 years compiling the good book. Grayling s new publication the good state he warns that there is a ticking timebomb at the heart of our representative democracy and in more than fifty countries around the world. He has served as a trustee of the london library and a board member of the society of authors.
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