Enjoyment
The Moral Significance of Styles of Life
Kekes, John Professor Emeritus, University at Albany, SUNY
Print publication date: 2008 (this edition)
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: January 2009
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-19-954692-3
doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199546923.003.0005
John Kekes
The enjoyment of one's life depends on the favorable personal evaluation of its style composed of one's attitude, manner, and dominant activities. Enjoyable lives that meet these conditions may still be more or less admirable or deplorable. Personal evaluation combines internal and external reasons, both of which are illustrated by the case of Sisyphus as discussed by Taylor and Feinberg. The rejection of external reasons by Williams, McDowell, Lovibond, and others is discussed and criticized. External reasons derive from human nature. The lives of the Bible's King David and Joyce's Stephen are discussed as cases in point.
Keywords: styles of life, external reasons, internal reasons, personal evaluation, Sisyphus, Wittgenstein, Williams, Mcdowell, Joyce, Taylor, human nature, Feinberg,
doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199546923.003.0005
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Part One Introduction
Part Two Style of Life
Part Three The Evaluation of Styles of Life
Part Four Some Particular Styles of Life
Part Five Conclusion