Paperback
Published Jan. 1, 2022 by Simon + Schuster Inc..
A very engaging book on moral philosophy which makes a potentially difficulty topic interesting and fun to learn about. As noted in the introduction, the focus is on "western" moral philosophy just to limit the scope to a reasonable size.
Excellent book! It felt very much like The Good Place tv series, but switching the balance of entertainment and moral philosophy. It presents a lot of deep moral philosophy ideas, in a very approachable way. For example, from the tv show, I had heard of virtue ethics, but now I really understand that it's all about balance. I almost want to go back and watch the show again, just because I feel like I'll understand Chidi so much better! It was also a really nice touch to have the actors come and voice some of the content for the audiobook.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!
What am I doing? Why am I doing it? Is there something I could be doing that’s better? Why is it better?
Mike Schur is most famous for his work on several modern television sitcoms, of which I have seen The Office and The Good Place. The latter is what made me come to appreciate his philosophically-inclined attitude towards life, and I approached this book hoping to see more of that at play. This book is not exactly related to the show, though Schur does sprinkle in moments here and there for those who are familiar with it; so you can read this without having seen it. But I recommend watching it anyway, because it is one of those rare masterpieces of television which manages to be both entertaining and insightful… not to mention it doesn’t drag on for too many seasons like most American television. This book is a …
What am I doing? Why am I doing it? Is there something I could be doing that’s better? Why is it better?
Mike Schur is most famous for his work on several modern television sitcoms, of which I have seen The Office and The Good Place. The latter is what made me come to appreciate his philosophically-inclined attitude towards life, and I approached this book hoping to see more of that at play. This book is not exactly related to the show, though Schur does sprinkle in moments here and there for those who are familiar with it; so you can read this without having seen it. But I recommend watching it anyway, because it is one of those rare masterpieces of television which manages to be both entertaining and insightful… not to mention it doesn’t drag on for too many seasons like most American television. This book is a great accompaniment to the show and provides a decent philosophical introduction for both fans and non-fans alike; it promises not to be overly-expansive nor thorough, but it does manage to touch on a little bit of everything.In this book, Schur takes the reader through a somewhat chronological but mostly thematic journey through various philosophical schools that are relevant to how he developed his own understanding. Thus, this is different from your standard history of philosophy or intro philosophy text because what Schur deems highlight-worthy may not necessarily reflect the standard; for instance, T. M. Scanlon is a figure which looms heavy in this book and in Schur’s reading of moral philosophy, but he never once came up in my undergraduate courses. I have read (some) of Mill, Kant, Nietzsche, and other western canon greats before, so it was largely a rehashing and review of material for me. But I also appreciated seeing Schur’s take on these age-old questions and ideas. I also did learn things, such as the philosophical analysis of the traditional idea of ‘ubuntu’, a South African concept which relates to how an individual is part of a community. Schur clearly isn’t satisfied with staying rooted in the western canon, and though he could have broadened his scope further, I do recognize his efforts.Perhaps the biggest issue with this book is its anticipated audience—it is ostensibly preaching to the choir and assumes from the outset that you largely sympathize with Schur’s worldview and optimistic desire to be a ‘good’ person. Schur’s definition of ‘good’ includes things like being a humanitarian, being sensitive to the needs of others, holding generally positive opinions about marginalized peoples. These are apparently things that not everyone can agree on, and thus you see a lot of negative reviews of the book—particularly of its last third, where Schur really leans heavy on his politics and ideologies. If entertaining ideas different to your own and weighing what it means to be ‘good’ in a different ideology entails is a repugnant idea to you, then this book may not be suitable. On the other hand, if you hold (mostly American) liberal views and are sympathetic to the notion of humanity sticking together and prevailing over our individual selfishness in a desire to become better people, then you will find Schur’s arguments very palatable.Though this book is not a dense philosophy text, it is eminently readable and engaging, and thus I appreciate that it may broaden someone’s philosophical inclinations who may otherwise have not dared to explore these questions and themes. Schur’s philosophical bent and attitudes are sympathetic to my own, and though we only sometimes see eye-to-eye, I enjoyed how his search for being a good human being is the central tenet of his worldview. I also enjoyed his simplified and jovial rehashing of major philosophical thought, especially the more modern ones such as the French existentialists, whom I may never get around to actually reading… he deserves credit for finally helping me understanding some of their main principles. At times, his writing can be a bit cringeworthy, with awkward humor that may feel dated in a few years, but Schur’s comedic genius ultimately blends well with philosophical musings in this amateur book of moral philosophy.
