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Leading a Worthy Life: Finding Meaning in Modern Times
Most American young people, like their ancestors, harbor desires for a worthy a life of meaning, a life that makes sense. But they are increasingly confused about what such a life might look like, and how they might, in the present age, be able to live one. With a once confident culture no longer offering authoritative guidance, the young are now at sea―regarding work, family, religion, and civic identity. The true, the good, and the beautiful have few defenders, and the higher cynicism mocks any innocent love of wisdom or love of country. We are super-competent regarding efficiency and convenience; we are at a loss regarding what it’s all for.
Yet because the old orthodoxies have crumbled, our “interesting time” paradoxically offers genuine opportunities for renewal and growth. The old Socratic question, “How to live?”, suddenly commands serious attention. Young Americans, if liberated from the prevailing cynicism, will readily embrace weighty questions and undertake serious quests for a flourishing life. All they (and we) need is encouragement.
This book provides that necessary encouragement by illuminating crucial (and still available) aspects of a worthy life, and by defending them against their enemies. With chapters on love, family, and friendship; human excellence and human dignity; teaching, learning, and truth; and the great human aspirations of Western civilization, it offers people who are looking on their own for meaning, and as well as to people who are looking to deepen what they have been taught or to square it with the spirit of our time.
Yet because the old orthodoxies have crumbled, our “interesting time” paradoxically offers genuine opportunities for renewal and growth. The old Socratic question, “How to live?”, suddenly commands serious attention. Young Americans, if liberated from the prevailing cynicism, will readily embrace weighty questions and undertake serious quests for a flourishing life. All they (and we) need is encouragement.
This book provides that necessary encouragement by illuminating crucial (and still available) aspects of a worthy life, and by defending them against their enemies. With chapters on love, family, and friendship; human excellence and human dignity; teaching, learning, and truth; and the great human aspirations of Western civilization, it offers people who are looking on their own for meaning, and as well as to people who are looking to deepen what they have been taught or to square it with the spirit of our time.
408 pages, Hardcover
Published December 19, 2017
66 people are currently reading
709 people want to read
About the author
Leon R. Kass
32 books58 followers American physician, scientist, educator, and public intellectual, best known as proponent of liberal education via the "Great Books," as an opponent of human cloning, life extension and euthanasia, as a critic of certain areas of technological progress and embryo research, and for his controversial tenure as chairman of the President's Council on Bioethics from 2001 to 2005. Although Kass is often referred to as a bioethicist, he eschews the term and refers to himself as "an old-fashioned humanist.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 20, 2018
Prior to reading this book, I was not familiar with Leon Kass, a public intellectual, physician, educator and scientist --- but who could resist a title like "Leading a Worthy Life"! Kass, a "Great Books" proponent, also chaired the President's Council on Bioethics some years back.
This work is a collection of his deep and thoughtful essays on a variety of topics: courtship, sex education, relationships, biotechnology, physician-assisted suicide, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, the intersection of science and religion, the Ten Commandments, the Gettysburg Address ... well, you get the idea. Kass supports his viewpoints thoroughly, and in a couple of cases the essays could've perhaps used some judicious editing (just my opinion). He is a writer of great intellect and humane reasoning and temperament; and even if your viewpoints may sometimes differ, he will make you think about many of life's big questions.
Here are a couple of quotes to whet your appetite:
"The many (hoi polloi) live as if happiness were having fun and amusing oneself. The refined and ambitious people – especially the political types – live as if happiness were honor or recognition for their personal excellence or achievement. And, third, some rare people ... live as if happiness consists in learning and seeking wisdom, in philosophizing."
" ....human beings are fundamentally distinguished by the ruling passions of their souls: a passion for fun or pleasure, a passion for honor or recognition, a passion for learning or knowledge or wisdom. Most people are primarily lovers of pleasures; some people are primarily lovers of victory and honor; a few people are lovers of understanding."
Leading A Worthy Life is one of those books that can help anyone become a lover of understanding, and was a worthwhile read.
This work is a collection of his deep and thoughtful essays on a variety of topics: courtship, sex education, relationships, biotechnology, physician-assisted suicide, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, the intersection of science and religion, the Ten Commandments, the Gettysburg Address ... well, you get the idea. Kass supports his viewpoints thoroughly, and in a couple of cases the essays could've perhaps used some judicious editing (just my opinion). He is a writer of great intellect and humane reasoning and temperament; and even if your viewpoints may sometimes differ, he will make you think about many of life's big questions.
Here are a couple of quotes to whet your appetite:
"The many (hoi polloi) live as if happiness were having fun and amusing oneself. The refined and ambitious people – especially the political types – live as if happiness were honor or recognition for their personal excellence or achievement. And, third, some rare people ... live as if happiness consists in learning and seeking wisdom, in philosophizing."
" ....human beings are fundamentally distinguished by the ruling passions of their souls: a passion for fun or pleasure, a passion for honor or recognition, a passion for learning or knowledge or wisdom. Most people are primarily lovers of pleasures; some people are primarily lovers of victory and honor; a few people are lovers of understanding."
Leading A Worthy Life is one of those books that can help anyone become a lover of understanding, and was a worthwhile read.
April 24, 2019
An absolutely marvelous, challenging and essential read for anyone who has even an atoms size interest in humanity. A collection of previously written and sometime published essays, this collection explores the the search for meaning in a modern world turbocharged with fast moving yet barely understood technologies and a declining import paid to spiritual health. The early essays on love and family will surely upset or cause amusement to sophisticates as the author (80+years old) delves into courtship, sex and social media. It does harken back to a simpler less technical time, and he does acknowledge the amusement that some readers will have to his naïveté . However Kass offers the reader some hard to ignore facts and theories about the importance of tradition. As a former member and Chair of the Presidents Council on Bio-Ethics , Kass is on very firm ground as he explores the essence of human dignity and the impact of new technologies and philosophical assumptions about what is human. His chapters on education and specifically liberal education were the best section for me as Kass makes a heartfelt and compelling case for the “liberal arts” and humanities. He ends the book with an explanation of the Gettysburg Address and how Lincoln’s lifelong pursuit of what makes America unique came alive for the ages. Having read Gary Wills’ book on the Address as well as others I found this short chapter a compelling and apt closing of Kass’ effort at “Leading a Worthy Life”.
June 21, 2020
This is a set of essays on how to live. There is nothing here I strongly disagreed with- but not every essay was equally original or interesting. Kass is sort of a Burkean conservative- by which I mean he is not obsessed with the goals of today's so-called conservatism, but he tends to favor the attitudes of earlier generations over today's trends.
The most engaging essay, in my opinion, was the one on naming; he argues against being on a first-name basis with everyone because our last names remind us that we are part of a "shared ancestral past". He also feels that a married couple should share a name, as a symbol that they are creating a new family separate from their birth families. In particular he believes that the bride should take the groom's name, for two reasons. First, the spouses should take the name of at least one grandparent, to reflect "the truth about family as a series of generations." Second, the spouses should probably take the husband's name, because if future children share the father's name, the father is symbolically announcing that the child is his- an important thing because, for obvious biological reasons, it is usually easier for a man to walk away from children than for a woman. (I wonder what Kass would think about same-sex marriages, or marriages unlikely to involve procreation).
The essays I liked least were on bioethics. Kass is worried about science will go too far in attempting to make humans more perfect. But even before COVID-19, American lifespans have began to decline; and if our politics is any guide, Americans are becoming less intelligent instead of turning into bionic supermen. So to me, Kass's concerns seem sadly out-of-date.
The most engaging essay, in my opinion, was the one on naming; he argues against being on a first-name basis with everyone because our last names remind us that we are part of a "shared ancestral past". He also feels that a married couple should share a name, as a symbol that they are creating a new family separate from their birth families. In particular he believes that the bride should take the groom's name, for two reasons. First, the spouses should take the name of at least one grandparent, to reflect "the truth about family as a series of generations." Second, the spouses should probably take the husband's name, because if future children share the father's name, the father is symbolically announcing that the child is his- an important thing because, for obvious biological reasons, it is usually easier for a man to walk away from children than for a woman. (I wonder what Kass would think about same-sex marriages, or marriages unlikely to involve procreation).
The essays I liked least were on bioethics. Kass is worried about science will go too far in attempting to make humans more perfect. But even before COVID-19, American lifespans have began to decline; and if our politics is any guide, Americans are becoming less intelligent instead of turning into bionic supermen. So to me, Kass's concerns seem sadly out-of-date.
February 9, 2021
Leon R Kass blathers on about the good old days. Don't get me wrong, Kass is a capable writer. My issues lie with how he encounters the subject. I agree with the problems he poses. Americans seem to have lost their vibrancy. There aren't any rocks on which to build your life. Most people don't stick to any job, and the idea of marriage is slim or non-existent. What is the point of it all?
As of right now, Kass focuses on teaching biblical morals. I can accept that, but I don't appreciate the way he presents his ideas. It reminds me of the opening song to All in the Family. To my cynical mind, the idea is laughable.
I did not enjoy this book. It feels as though Kass is preaching to you. I agree with some of his points, though, especially the ones on naming your children. As Kass says, don't name your child Jack if your last name is Kass.
As of right now, Kass focuses on teaching biblical morals. I can accept that, but I don't appreciate the way he presents his ideas. It reminds me of the opening song to All in the Family. To my cynical mind, the idea is laughable.
I did not enjoy this book. It feels as though Kass is preaching to you. I agree with some of his points, though, especially the ones on naming your children. As Kass says, don't name your child Jack if your last name is Kass.
June 3, 2018
Kass opens a dialogue in this book about everything from the limits of biotechnology to the Gettysburg Address to the importance of family: all soberly reasoned essays on how to live a meaningful life. Some of the essays I found more convincing than others; his cautions about the use of technology for therapeutic versus enhancement was one that offered lots of food for thought. Others, like his somewhat static view of gender roles, much less so. He demands much from his readers, and I appreciated the wide-ranging essays and the questions he raises about how we live our lives. For many essays, I was informed, and for those I disagreed with, I had to bolster and clarify my own positions, and I appreciated the challenge.
January 19, 2019
This is a compilation of various essays he has written over the years. Brilliant.
While trained as scientist, Kass is more well known as a philosopher. He addresses many contemporary issues with a sharp analytical approach. Among the issues, he deals with:
are steroids in athletes are bad?
is old-fashioned courtship is much preferred to today's dating scene?
is euthanasia is moral?
should a woman take her husband's surname?
is genetic modification to improve ourselves good?
No doubt most readers will not agree with his reasoning and conclusions. But, anybody with a robust intellect has to explain why he's incorrect. A tough challenge.
While trained as scientist, Kass is more well known as a philosopher. He addresses many contemporary issues with a sharp analytical approach. Among the issues, he deals with:
are steroids in athletes are bad?
is old-fashioned courtship is much preferred to today's dating scene?
is euthanasia is moral?
should a woman take her husband's surname?
is genetic modification to improve ourselves good?
No doubt most readers will not agree with his reasoning and conclusions. But, anybody with a robust intellect has to explain why he's incorrect. A tough challenge.
December 27, 2020
An excellent book. Each of the chapters tackle a different issue. This is very worthwhile reading! I did a couple blog posts about this book at www.fortybooks.website.
August 12, 2024
I had great expectations on this book after Kass background as St. Johns teacher and Great Books scholar. The book comprises a series of essays on different subjects that are part of today's social debates.
The first part is quite interesting including a rational analysis of the importance of love, family, marriage, friendship. A traditionalist with arguments worth discussing. His bioethics arguments are his strong, with solid questions mixed with dogmatic ideas. For instance the fuzzy border of therapy and enhancement, is a question still unanswered and more relevante as technology and society evolve. Are human flaws part of what makes us worthy? Would artificial perfection makes us machine-alike?
In the some parts Kass covers issues like euthanasia or the relationship between science and religion (Western) from a "conservative-christianish" position. which is odd for a raised "jew-socialist". Here arguments are weaker and more dogmatic.
However his key takeaway is the principle of human Dignity.
The later chapters are again quite valuable, promoting the Aristotelean Ethics for the youth. Why should young adults/teens should spend time reading Nichomachean Ethics. Times have changed, but human nature has not. The Greek philosopher' ideas are as valid today as 2,000 yrs ago, specially for young who want to make a difference.
The first part is quite interesting including a rational analysis of the importance of love, family, marriage, friendship. A traditionalist with arguments worth discussing. His bioethics arguments are his strong, with solid questions mixed with dogmatic ideas. For instance the fuzzy border of therapy and enhancement, is a question still unanswered and more relevante as technology and society evolve. Are human flaws part of what makes us worthy? Would artificial perfection makes us machine-alike?
In the some parts Kass covers issues like euthanasia or the relationship between science and religion (Western) from a "conservative-christianish" position. which is odd for a raised "jew-socialist". Here arguments are weaker and more dogmatic.
However his key takeaway is the principle of human Dignity.
The later chapters are again quite valuable, promoting the Aristotelean Ethics for the youth. Why should young adults/teens should spend time reading Nichomachean Ethics. Times have changed, but human nature has not. The Greek philosopher' ideas are as valid today as 2,000 yrs ago, specially for young who want to make a difference.
August 8, 2023
As a noted scholar, Leon Kass produces work that is incredibly thoughtful. That thoughtfulness is his self professed end of liberal education. I enjoyed reading this book and the conversations I had with the text through the whole story. It is at times very unphilosophical in the way it treats reason and evidence as second to Kass’ own life experiences, often emotionally driven life experiences. The work hits its stride when discussing bioethics, as is right considering the authors background. The work padding either side of the impactful chapters on bioethics are beautifully written and valuable in conversation, however they are nostalgic and the conclusions do not tend to accurately represent modern society in a meaningful way in the eyes of this younger academic.
December 31, 2018
Long burn of a read. Be willing to dive deep on some areas of thought that you thought you had fully understood and find beautiful new insight.
May 22, 2022
Amazing!! Leon Kass genuinely captures the truth rooted in our reality today! I highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews