Alcoholism, major depression, debilitating shyness or extreme anxiety may all lead to personal failings and even moral wrongdoing that we can neither explain nor ignore. How are we to deal with these failings in our own pasts? How should we think about 'agency' or responsibility in other people who suffer from such difficulties? What does morality require of us in living with these people? In this original and eloquent work, Norman S. Care addresses these questions from both theoretical and personal perspectives, just as John Rawls's A Theory of Justice offered a set of principles by which the members of a society might reconcile themselves to their own and others' failings. Along the way, Care challenges the idea that individuals are masters of their own fate, discusses the 'persona moralism' that enables us to blame ourselves and others, and considers in a positive way the famous twelve-step Alcoholics Anonymous program, interesting because it acknowledges that 'recovery' may not occur for some alcoholics who attempt to follow it. Living with One's Past will be of interest not only to philosophers, psychologists, health-care and social service providers, but also to anyone whose life has been affected by his or her own or others' moral failings.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
This is exactly the kind of philosophical work we in the mental health professions require to inform our clinical theories and reconcile our clinical practices with our responsibilities as citizens in a democratic society seeking to promote personal and social justice as well as mental health. Highly recommended to current and future mental health clinicians. (Ronald B. Miller )
A significant contribution. Norman Care's treatment of these issues is some of the most sensitive and innovative work I have seen in this area. (Card, Claudia )
Living With One's Past is a rare work. With moving and instructive depth and sensitivity, it takes up real problems of real life. It shows us how to appreciate their difficulty, their importance for humanity, and--not incidentally--how important good philosophy can be. This is ethics at its best. (Stocker, Michael )
Living With One's Past is the kind of work that intelligent, reflective people come to moral philosophy hoping to find and rarely do. How can we be reconciled to ourselves as flawed moral agents, given the harm we inflict on those we love? In our dealings with others, what does individual justice require? Drawing on personal histories marred by problematic agency of various sorts--from shyness to alcoholism--Norman Care tells us, in a work both wise and moving. (Lynne McFall )
A book useful to both philosphers interested in moral agency and others interested in theoretical issues concerning recovery programs for alcoholics. (Choice )
How to live successfully with others; how to achieve peace of mind even though we may have experienced regretable low points in our moral behavior in the past; and an examination of the famous Twelve-Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous are among the chapters which will benefit anyone whose life has been affected by his or her own or others moral failings. (Oberlin Alumni Magazine )
This book is undoubtedly erudite. . . . I enjoyed reading it and found plenty that was stimulating. (Julian C. Hughes Journal Of Medical Ethics )
There is much to admire in his writing. He raises interesting questions. An interesting and valiant attempt. (Christian Perring, Ph.D. Metapsychology: Mental Health Net's Bookstore )
This book has a most resounding virtue: It is an essay in moral philosophy written about the ordinary life. Care's book is not about weakness of will -- at least not as philosophers typically write about that phenomenon. Most cases of weakness of will discussed by philosophers never have this level of poignancy. (Thomas, Laurence The Philosophical Review, Vol. 107, No. 2 ( April 1998) )
A significant contribution. Norman Care's treatment of these issues is some of the most sensitive and innovative work I have seen in this area. (Card, Claudia )
Living With One's Past is a rare work. With moving and instructive depth and sensitivity, it takes up real problems of real life. It shows us how to appreciate their difficulty, their importance for humanity, and--not incidentally--how important good philosophy can be. This is ethics at its best. (Stocker, Michael )
Living With One's Past is the kind of work that intelligent, reflective people come to moral philosophy hoping to find and rarely do. How can we be reconciled to ourselves as flawed moral agents, given the harm we inflict on those we love? In our dealings with others, what does individual justice require? Drawing on personal histories marred by problematic agency of various sorts--from shyness to alcoholism--Norman Care tells us, in a work both wise and moving. (Lynne McFall )
A book useful to both philosphers interested in moral agency and others interested in theoretical issues concerning recovery programs for alcoholics. (Choice )
How to live successfully with others; how to achieve peace of mind even though we may have experienced regretable low points in our moral behavior in the past; and an examination of the famous Twelve-Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous are among the chapters which will benefit anyone whose life has been affected by his or her own or others moral failings. (Oberlin Alumni Magazine )
This book is undoubtedly erudite. . . . I enjoyed reading it and found plenty that was stimulating. (Julian C. Hughes Journal Of Medical Ethics )
There is much to admire in his writing. He raises interesting questions. An interesting and valiant attempt. (Christian Perring, Ph.D. Metapsychology: Mental Health Net's Bookstore )
This book has a most resounding virtue: It is an essay in moral philosophy written about the ordinary life. Care's book is not about weakness of will -- at least not as philosophers typically write about that phenomenon. Most cases of weakness of will discussed by philosophers never have this level of poignancy. (Thomas, Laurence The Philosophical Review, Vol. 107, No. 2 ( April 1998) )
About the Author
Norman S. Care is Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the department at Oberlin College. He is the author of On Sharing Fate (1987).
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