16 June 2010

Review: Life, Sex and Ideas - The Good Life Without God by A.C. Grayling



Title:  Life, Sex and Ideas - The Good Life Without God
Author:
  A.C. Grayling
Genre / Pages:
  Philosophy / 236

Publication: Oxford University Press, 2003
Rating: 
3rd shelf

Source:  Chapters Indigo
lj's plot in one pot:  Through short essays, Grayling, a professor of philosophy, invites discussion as to what human life should be.

I hope my rating doesn't push any of you away...I loved this book.  But I loved it even more the first time I read it, when it was called The Meaning of Things.  Being a follower of Grayling's, I've read many of his previous titles ( see here).  I was disappointed in this text, as it feels to repeat the same ideas as many of Grayling's work.  This book is a collection of essays that seem to condense ancient and recent philosopher's (including Grayling's) ideas on different aspects of life; for example, moral education, luxury, safety, etc.  It is divided into seven categories (Moral Matters, Public Culture, Community and Society, Anger and War, Grief and Remembrance, Nature and Naturalness, and Reading and Thinking).  It is clear from the beginning (read the title) that Grayling does not subscribe to traditional religious beliefs.  I appreciate, however that he limits his ire to the religious institutions and the arbitrary rules they have set up.  Grayling uses simple, elegant prose to deliver his message, which usually boils down to "live life thoughtfully, and non-judgmentally".  The book is definitely thought-provoking - my partner hates when I read books like this in bed, because I keep waking him up to discuss something.  It's definitely a good read, but perhaps skip this one if you have already read some of Grayling's other work.



"Marriage as a mutuality of true minds and tender hearts, so long as it lasts, is the happiest of states, whatever the number and gender of the parties to it..." p.44

No comments:

Post a Comment