Virtue and Meaning: A Neo-Aristotelian Perspective

by David McPherson

The revival of Aristotelian virtue ethics can be seen as a response to the modern problem of disenchantment, that is, the perceived loss of meaning in modernity. However, in Virtue and Meaning, David McPherson contends that the dominant approach still embraces an overly disenchanted view. In a wide-ranging discussion, McPherson argues for a more fully re-enchanted perspective that gives better recognition to the meanings by which we live and after which we seek, and to the fact that human beings are the meaning-seeking animal. In doing so, he defends distinctive accounts of the relationship between virtue and happiness, other-regarding demands, and the significance of linking neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics with a view of the meaning of life and a spiritual life where contemplation has a central role. This book will be valuable for philosophers and other readers who are interested in virtue ethics and the perennial question of the meaning of life.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published April 30, 2020

About the author

Ever since attending his first rock concert in 1989 (The Who) and buying his first LP (Freeze Frame by The J. Geils Band), music has been “the elixir of his life.” With more than 18,000 songs on his iPod, and an ever-growing vintage vinyl collection, it’s a joy for him to discover new music. He loves sharing these discoveries with his wife and two children. David watched his first show [the Old 97’s] at the Horseshoe Tavern more than twenty years ago; immediately, he was hooked. A regular contributor to Words & Music, Hamilton Magazine, and No Depression, over the years his writing on music has also appeared in Paste, American Songwriter, Bluegrass Unlimited, Exclaim! and Canadian Musician. As president and chief creative officer of McPherson Communications, David helps clients get their words right. He lives in Waterloo, Ontario.