The wisdom of frugality : why less is more--more or less / Emrys Westacott.
By: Westacott, Emrys [author]
.
Material type: 
BookPublisher: Princeton, [New Jersey] ; Oxford, [England] : Princeton University Press, [2016]Copyright date: ©2016Description: 313 pages : illustrations, tables, 23 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 9780691155081 (hardback); 0691155089 (hardback); 9780691180823 (paperback); 0691180822 (paperback).Subject(s): Simplicity | ThriftinessAdditional physical formats: Electronic version: The wisdom of frugality : why less is more--more or lessDDC classification: 179.9 Also available in electronic form. | Item type | Current library | Call number | Status | Barcode | |
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| General lending | MTU Bishopstown Library Lending | 179.9 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 00220504 |
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| 179.1 Engineering, ethics, and the environment / | 179.3 Animal welfare / | 179.9 Respect : an exploration / | 179.9 The wisdom of frugality : why less is more--more or less / | 181.3 I and thou / | 184 Gorgias / | 189.4 Selected writings / |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Why philosophers have advocated simple living for 2,500 years--and why we ignore them at our peril
From Socrates to Thoreau, most philosophers, moralists, and religious leaders have seen frugality as a virtue and have associated simple living with wisdom, integrity, and happiness. But why? And are they right? Is a taste for luxury fundamentally misguided? If one has the means to be a spendthrift, is it foolish or reprehensible to be extravagant?
In this book , Emrys Westacott examines why, for more than two millennia, so many philosophers and people with a reputation for wisdom have been advocating frugality and simple living as the key to the good life. He also looks at why most people have ignored them, but argues that, in a world facing environmental crisis, it may finally be time to listen to the advocates of a simpler way of life.
The Wisdom of Frugality explores what simplicity means, why it's supposed to make us better and happier, and why, despite its benefits, it has always been such a hard sell. The book looks not only at the arguments in favor of living frugally and simply, but also at the case that can be made for luxury and extravagance, including the idea that modern economies require lots of getting and spending.
A philosophically informed reflection rather than a polemic, The Wisdom of Frugality ultimately argues that we will be better off--as individuals and as a society--if we move away from the materialistic individualism that currently rules.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
What Is simplicity? -- Why simple living is supposed to improve us -- Why simple living is thought to make us happier -- Why the philosophy of frugality is a hard sell -- The pros and cons of extravagance -- The philosophy of frugality in a modern economy -- The environmentalist case for simple living.
From Socrates to Thoreau, most philosophers, moralists, and religious leaders have seen frugality as a virtue and have associated simple living with wisdom, integrity, and happiness. But why? And are they right? Is a taste for luxury fundamentally misguided? If one has the means to be a spendthrift, is it foolish or reprehensible to be extravagant? In this book, Emrys Westacott examines why, for more than two millennia, so many philosophers and people with a reputation for wisdom have been advocating frugality and simple living as the key to the good life. He also looks at why most people have ignored them, but argues that, in a world facing environmental crisis, it may finally be time to listen to the advocates of a simpler way of life. The Wisdom of Frugality explores what simplicity means, why it's supposed to make us better and happier, and why, despite its benefits, it has always been such a hard sell. The book looks not only at the arguments in favor of living frugally and simply, but also at the case that can be made for luxury and extravagance, including the idea that modern economies require lots of getting and spending. A philosophically informed reflection rather than a polemic, The Wisdom of Frugality ultimately argues that we will be better off--as individuals and as a society - if we move away from the materialistic individualism that currently rules.
Also available in electronic form.
Table of contents provided by Syndetics
- Introduction (p. 1)
- 1 What Is Simplicity? (p. 9)
- 2 Why Simple Living Is Supposed to Improve Us (p. 40)
- 3 Why Simple Living Is Thought to Make Us Happier (p. 73)
- 4 Why the Philosophy of Frugality Is a Hard Sell (p. 136)
- 5 The Pros and Cons of Extravagance (p. 163)
- 6 The Philosophy of Frugality in a Modern Economy (p. 200)
- 7 The Environmentalist Case for Simple Living (p. 249)
- Conclusion (p. 275)
- Acknowledgments (p. 289)
- Notes (p. 293)
- Index (p. 307)