Law and the Good Life
On the Political Philosophy of Aristotle
Format:Hardback
Publisher:The University of Chicago Press
Publishing:18th Dec '26
£92.00
This title is due to be published on 18th December, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
A fresh reading of the relationship between moral and political philosophy in Aristotle’s thought.
Our democracies promise the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—at least, within the confines of the law. Yet the law is an ineffective guide to the good life; laws can be arbitrary, even immoral. What other limit, then, should direct us as we pursue our own fulfillment?
In Law and the Good Life, philosopher Robert C. Bartlett examines Aristotle’s consideration of this question. Rather than defer to authority, Aristotle invites us to ground ourselves in moral virtue and intellectual fulfillment, an argument he develops in both Politics and Nicomachean Ethics. As political creatures, Aristotle tells us, we are capable of moral action and therefore must embrace that capacity; at the same time, as rational creatures, we must understand what is true, even without regard to action. In taking these insights together, Bartlett offers a new reading of Aristotle’s political philosophy, one he hopes might serve as a prudent lodestar in our own turbulent times.
“Bartlett’s analysis of Aristotle’s political and moral thought presents an elucidation of his political philosophy that is unrivaled in scope, precision, and penetration. This book has allowed me to read Aristotle’s works in a dramatically new light, with a deeper appreciation for the unity of their teaching concerning the question of the best way of life.”
-- Peter J. Ahrensdorf, author of 'Homer and the Tradition of Political Philosophy: Encounters with Plato, Machiavelli, and Nietzsche'“Beautifully written and outstandingly clear, this book is the fruit of a long meditation on Aristotle by a scholar who knows him well. It brings together the Nicomachean Ethics and Politics in an original way to illuminate the deep unity and complexity of Aristotle’s political philosophy.”
-- Lorraine Smith Pangle, author of 'Reason and Character: The Moral Foundations of Aristotelian Political Philosophy'“Written with clarity and grace, Law and the Good Life explores questions at the heart of Aristotle’s political philosophy as they are expressed in the Nicomachean Ethics. Bartlett is one of the finest living scholars of Aristotle, and he has spent many years thinking deeply about Aristotle’s treatment of law, moral virtue, and the good life. This outstanding book is the fruit of those labors.”
-- Devin Stauffer, author of 'Hobbes’s Kingdom of Light: A Study of the Foundations of Modern Political PhilosoISBN: 9780226854656
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 454g
304 pages