Living Well: Models of Personal Philosophy from Buddhism to Secular Humanism

Every person has a life philosophy. Most often, it is laid down in childhood as a result of upbringing in the family. Rare are those who choose it consciously, as happened with some of the authors of this collection, all of whom are recognized authorities and brilliant specialists in their field. The pages of the book unfold a dizzying panorama of philosophical worldviews — from Eastern (Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Taoism) to Western (Aristotelianism, Epicureanism, and Stoicism); from centuries-old religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) to modern concepts such as ethical culture, existentialism, effective altruism, pragmatism, and secular humanism. If you are unsure of your current beliefs about life, the universe, and the world in general, you have the chance to try on or even adopt another philosophy. If your coordinate system suits you, acquaintance with other approaches will strengthen you in your beliefs. As Epicurus said, “we are born once, and we cannot be born a second time,” so it is impossible to overestimate the role of life philosophy in how we will live our one and only life.