Since the days of the first primitive tribes, we have tried to determine why one man is good and another evil. Mark Matousek arrives at the answer in Ethical Wisdom. Contrary to what we've been taught in our reason-obsessed culture, emotions are the bedrock of ethical life; without them, human beings cannot be empathic, moral, or good. But how do we make the judgment call between self-interest and caring for others? What does being good really mean? Which parts of morality are biological, which ethical? When should instinct be trusted and when does it lead us into trouble? How can we know ourselves to be good amidst the hypocrisy, fears, and sabotaging appetites that pervade our two-sided natures? Drawing on the latest scientific research and interviews with social scientists, spiritual leaders, ex-cons, altruists, and philosophers, Matousek examines morality from a scientific, sociological, and anthropological standpoint. Each chapter features a series of questions, readings, interviews, parables, and anecdotes that zoom in on a particular niche of moral inquiry, making this audio book both utilitarian and fun. Ethical Wisdom is an insightful and important book for listeners crisscrossing their own murky moral terrain.
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"I loved this book. It communicated everything very well to me, and it is written in a way that I can easily identify with. There is a great deal of wisdom book, and although it should be taken with a proverbial grain of salt, it is very wise and thought provoking."
— Charles (5 out of 5 stars)
“Ethical Wisdom is a riveting, fun, and insightful tour of life’s meaning and purpose, essential reading for anyone drawn to the query, 'How ought we to live?' ”
— Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence“Mark Matousek has done some magic: he has written an informed, intelligent, humorous, insightful, and juicy book on ethics. You’ll enjoy this book and maybe become a better person because of it.”
— Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul“This book springs from the latest research on biology [and] some of the oldest human wisdom. Both are interesting, and together they are potent.”
— Bill McKibben, author of EaarthBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Mark Matousek is the author of two bestselling memoirs, Sex Death Enlightenment and The Boy He Left Behind. A contributing editor for O, The Oprah Magazine, he was a senior editor at Interview and has written for numerous publications, including the New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Details, and AARP magazine. Matousek lives in New York City.