Defined by deliberation about the difference between right and wrong; encouragement not to be indifferent toward that difference; resistance against what is wrong; and action in support of what is right; ethics is civilization's keystone. The Failures of Ethics concentrates on the multiple shortfalls and shortcomings of thought; decision; and action that tempt and incite us human beings to inflict incalculable harm. Absent the overriding of moral sensibilities; if not the collapse or collaboration of ethical traditions; the Holocaust; genocide; and other mass atrocities could not have happened. Although these catastrophes do not pronounce the death of ethics; they show that ethics is vulnerable; subject to misuse and perversion; and that no simple reaffirmation of ethics; as if nothing disastrous had happened; will do. Moral and religious authority has been fragmented and weakened by the accumulated ruins of history and the depersonalized advances of civilization that have taken us from a bloody twentieth century into an immensely problematic twenty-first. What nevertheless remain essential are spirited commitment and political will that embody the courage not to let go of the ethical but to persist for it in spite of humankind's self-inflicted destructiveness. Salvaging the fragmented condition of ethics; this book shows how respect and honor for those who save lives and resist atrocity; deepened attention to the dead and to death itself; and appeals for human rights and renewed spiritual sensitivity confirm that ethics contains and remains an irreplaceable safeguard against its own failures.
#2324270 in Books 2013-03-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.60 x .50 x 8.40l; .44 #File Name: 0198090455160 pagesFocuses on Ibn Khaldun's life and workDiscusses topical issues of culture and politicsIt presents the story of Ibn Khaldun's lifeThe book also includes a comprehensive list of the various editions and translations of Ibn Khaldun's works into European and non-European languages and also an annotated list of major works in Arabic; English; and other Western languages; which would aid the reader in further research.This book introduces the reader to Ibn Khaldun's core ideas; focusing on his theory of the rise and decline of states.
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good Brief Book on the 14th Century ScholarBy F. AkiciVery well-written; easy to read; concise book about the 14th century scholar; Ibn Khaldun. It is very informative; but it could've been a little more extensive. Overall; a very good introductory text about Ibn Khaldun; his main ideas; legacy; reception in the Western world; and significance for the modern social sciences.What struck me the most in this book is the quote from Toynbee: "He has conceived and formulated a philosophy of history which is undoubtedly the greatest work of its kind that has ever yet been created by any mind in any time or place." I learned a lot from this book; and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in history; philosophy; sociology; and economics.
