Ethics: The Art of Character

Do you ever wonder about what it means to have a good life? This is a question that has been agonizing saints, sinners, and sages since time immemorial. Part of the Wooden Books series, this little volume is illustrated with intricate, exquisitely detailed engravings from many different eras, depicting personified virtues (and sins), famous philosophers, allegorical lessons, and ethical dilemmas. There are several pertinent little cartoons included as well. To accompany the illustrations, the text offers a lively history of the study of ethics, from the ancients through Church philosophers to modern times, including current conundrums such as how to interact with the world around us – not just other humans but animals and the environment as well. You learn how different eras have addressed what is meant by good character or what is the best way to live. It is a great narrative, well-researched and written and nicely flowing, that brings up important questions, much-discussed but still relevant today. The study of ethics is a deep and expansive field, a study of several lifetimes. Maybe you don’t have that long? For a brief but comprehensive introduction, you will be well served reading this glorious and beautiful little book.