Book cover of The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy

Book description

This book is a study of ancient views about 'moral luck'. It examines the fundamental ethical problem that many of the valued constituents of a well-lived life are vulnerable to factors outside a person's control, and asks how this affects our appraisal of persons and their lives. The Greeks made…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Fragility of Goodness as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Martha Nussbaum’s book isn’t written as roman à thèse (thesis told as story) but it focuses on the dialogues of Plato and her work helped me understand a possible intention behind his philosophical fiction—when I was writing my own thesis on a more modern philosopher—especially how it tries to avoid the conflicts and suffering that compose Greek tragedy. Spanning millennia of muse-inspired myth about people under pressure, from Antigone in Ancient Crete (who just wanted to bury her traitorous brother) to Sophie in Nazi Germany (who had to choose between her children’s lives) this movingly-written and erudite book has the…

From Alan's list on philosophical fiction.

If you love The Fragility of Goodness...

Ad

Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Want books like The Fragility of Goodness?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Fragility of Goodness.

Browse books like The Fragility of Goodness

Book cover of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
Book cover of Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals
Book cover of The Thought Gang

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,207

readers submitted
so far, will you?