The Impossibility of Perfection: Aristotle, Feminism, and the Complexities of EthicsMost people think that the difficulty of balancing career and personal/family relationships is the fault of present-day society or is due to their own inadequacies. But in this major new book, eminent moral philosopher Michael Slote argues that the difficulty runs much deeper, that it is due to the essential nature of the divergent goods involved in this kind of choice. He shows more generally that perfect human happiness and perfect virtue are impossible in principle, a view originally enunciated by Isaiah Berlin, but much more thoroughly and synoptically defended here than ever before. Ancient Greek and modern-day Enlightenment thought typically assumed that perfection was possible, and this is also true of Romanticism and of most recent ethical theory. But if, as Slote maintains, imperfection is inevitable, then our inherited categories of virtue and personal good are far too limited and unqualified to allow us to understand and cope with the richer and more complex life that characterizes today's world. And The Impossibility of Perfection argues in particular that we need some new notions, new distinctions, and even new philosophical methods in order to distill some of the ethical insights of recent feminist thought and arrive at a fuller and more realistic picture of ethical phenomena. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
1 Feminism and Partial Values | 12 |
2 The Impossibility of Perfection | 39 |
3 Alternative Views | 54 |
4 Perfection Moral Dilemmas and Moral Cost | 72 |
5 Connections with Care Ethics and Romanticism | 86 |
Other editions - View all
The Impossibility of Perfection: Aristotle, Feminism, and the Complexities ... Michael Slote No preview available - 2014 |
The Impossibility of Perfection: Aristotle, Feminism, and the Complexities ... Michael Slote No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
accept achievement adventure approach argued arguments Aristotelian associated assume assumptions believe Berlin better called care ethics career caring certain chapter choice choose claim committed complex concepts conclusions consider contrast cost count course criticism depend described dilemma discussion distinction doesn’t don’t earlier ethicists ethics evils example extent fact feminist frankness friendship further gender give given happiness hold human idea ideal important impossibility of perfection individual interesting intuitions involve issues justice kind lacking least less lives male means mentioned moral never notion objective once one’s opposition partial partial values particular patriarchal perfect perhaps philosophical picture pleasure possible present book prudence question reason regard relational relationships relevant require respect seems sense sexual situation someone supposed tact talk theory thesis things thought traditional traditionally unity University Press values various virtues women wrong